A New Adventure Begins
by Lily Hanson
Summary: A new job leads to new adventures in Coral Harbour. A Ranger's job is never done.
1. Grid Battleforce

Sarah has never been so far away from home before. She had moved a few times growing up, but always had her family with her. This time, she had left Shane and her friends behind to start a brand new adventure: adult life.

She fortunately wasn't alone. Her fiancée Kelly was right behind her, double and even triple checking the email Sarah had received from Commander Shaw of Grid Battleforce. Sarah had been recruited by the company to work as a researcher on a top secret project. She didn't know much more than that, but Sarah didn't shy away from the unknown. The email was legitimate, the job was real, and Sarah had even spoken to the Commander herself on the phone to plan out the arrival.

"Says here there will be a driver waiting for us at arrivals," Kelly said. "You remembered to tell her we would need a wheelchair accessible vehicle, right?"

Sarah's eyes widened as she turned to her fiancée with a guilty look.

"I love you."

"Seriously? You know they just don't sent that stuff out you know! It's a disability because a minority of the people have it! They don't sent cars out just in case!"  
Sarah started to chuckle, which didn't seem to amuse Kelly in the slightest. The former Green Ranger crossed her arms and huffed.

"What?"

"Do you really think I would forget to tell them about your chair? Commander Shaw was completely understanding. She even promised our house and Grid Battleforce would be entirely accessible to you."

"Accessible to someone who can walk is very different than what's actually accessible. Are you sure...?"

"Positive. I stressed how important it was and she stressed that you wouldn't have a problem."

As they arrived as baggage claim, Sarah cut through the crowd of people to collect their bags. They only had one bag each. Though they were moving far, their families and their homes would always be in Summer Cove. With plans to visit often, and their families promising to make the trip when possible, it seemed ridiculous to pack everything up.

Once the bags were collected, they made their way to the arrivals gate. The email stated a driver would be waiting for them. Since it wasn't likely anyone from Grid Battleforce knew Sarah couldn't read, Kelly had to keep her eye out. She spotted a woman holding a sign that read S. Thompson.

"That's us," Kelly told Sarah and they made their way over. As they approached, the woman seemed to recognize them both. The girls assumed that once their Ranger identities had gone public, it wasn't just Summer Cove that found out, but the whole world. Not to mention, if Grid Battleforce has recruited Sarah, they probably already knew what she looked like.

"I'm Sarah," the former pink Ranger said.

"Nice to meet you, Sarah. I'm Commander Shaw." The woman introduced herself and offered her hand.

"The head of the company doing airport pickup?" Kelly asked.

"Given our special request and the nature of the job, I thought it best I make sure the arrival went smoothly," Commander Shaw explained. "I'll take you out to the car and we can talk a bit more about the job."

They left the airport and made their way to the parking garage. Kelly was glad to see they were walking towards the accessible parking spot and even happier when, at the press of a button, a lift opened out of the side of the car. Kelly wouldn't have to struggle at all the buckle in, as her chair would attach right into the car, securing her tight in case of an accident.

"Sweet!" Kelly smiled.

"I'm glad you like it. This car is yours. Consider it a thank you for supporting your girlfriend in her new career and leaving home."

"Fiancée," Kelly correctly happily. "And with perks like this, it's really not a problem. This is actually mine?"

"Assuming you have a license, it is your personal vehicle. Sarah will be receiving a company car and when we heard about the wheelchair we knew we couldn't guarantee public transit in the city would be so accommodating. I'd had to think of you sitting at home in a new city alone while Sarah was at work so this way you have the option to get out and discover Coral Harbour on your own."

"Okay, all my previous reservations are gone," Kelly said. She fastened herself into the car while Sarah and Commander Shaw hopped into the front seats. After the Commander showed Kelly how she would be able to transition into the driver's seat, they started their trip to Grid Battleforce.

"So, what is Grid Battleforce, exactly?" Sarah asked.

"It's a project I started many years ago as an effort to reverse the effects of climate change. After my son was born, I couldn't fathom the thought of leaving behind a world for him that was worse than my own. For years, my research team and I were looking into a clean energy source that we believed would power all our daily needs and pleasures."

"So like wind turbines or solar energy?" Kelly asked.

"Without the drawbacks or side effects of harnessing such energy."

"So is that what I'll be doing?" Sarah asked.

"No. Recently, we've had a breakthrough. As Rangers, I'm sure you're both familiar with the Morphin Grid."

"We are."

"Our head researcher concluded that if we could harness just a small fraction of the energy from the Morphin Grid, it could provide clean energy for our entire city and then some. If our project is a success, we plan on harnessing just enough of the energy to power the whole planet!"

"Is that safe?" Sarah asked.

"If you don't mind, any information regarding the safety of our project is highly classified. All I can say, in this car, is that we are taking absolutely every single precaution that we can think of to ensure the safety of our city."

Commander Shaw pulled into the parking lot of a large building. Across the front, Kelly read that it was Grid Battleforce.

They parked in a spot marked "guest".

Inside, it looked like they were back in the airport. There was a front desk with security watching them, and metal detectors in front of the elevators. The whole building seemed really well protected. Kelly was glad they were entering with the Commander, otherwise she would have walked right back out.

"Officer Burke," Commander Shaw called out to the woman behind the desk. Kelly watched as Officer Burke stepped down and made her way around the counter, her head barely poking out over the top.

"She's shorter than you," Kelly whispered to Sarah. The former pink Ranger frowned.

"Lots of people are shorter than me."

"Sarah, there are as many people on this planet who are shorter than you, than there are people who are smarter than you." Kelly chuckled.

"Officer Burke," Commander Shaw called to the young woman, "Do you have those badges I asked you to make?"

"Ben is getting them right now," Officer Burke nodded. At that very moment a young man stumbled passed security guarding the metal detectors. He huffed and puffed as he arrived at the front desk with two badges in hand.

"Is the Commander here yet?" he asked Officer Burke breathlessly. Officer Burke looked to him awkwardly before she pointed to the Commander, prompting Ben to stand up straight. "Hey, Commander. Here are those badges you asked for."

"Thank you, Officer Burke," she said as she took them from his hands. "Keep an eye on things here, okay?"

"You can count on us!"

Commander Shaw gave a nod before she turned to Kelly and Sarah and offered them each a badge. Kelly took hers and could see her name printed over a barcode. She assumed "Family" was written where actual employees would have their job titles.

"You'll need these passes to access the elevators. We do have various clearance levels and your badges will only allow you to the floors where you have access. Kelly, I'm afraid for you that includes only our gym and our cafeteria. I think that allows you reasonable access to visit your fiancée at work."

"Food and exercise," Kelly nodded. "Sounds good to me."

Commander Shaw smiled at Kelly, then turned her attention to Sarah, noticing that the former pink Ranger seemed a bit confused by her badge.

"Are you disappointed by the job position?"

"Not sure," Sarah said. "I can't read what it says."

"I'm sorry?"

Sarah pointed to her head, "I have a traumatic brain injury. I have epilepsy as a result and I lost the ability to read and write."

"But the emails..."

"Technology is wonderful," Sarah said. "Also, Kelly does a lot of reading for me."

"I'm a writer so it works out," Kelly chuckled. She took Sarah's badge to read it for her. "Wow, top clearance. Research and consulting."

"Consulting on what?" Sarah asked.

"That, I'm afraid is top secret," Commander Shaw informed her. "Kelly, if you don't mind, I'd like to take Sarah up to her office and that's beyond your clearance. There is a wonderful meal selection in the cafeteria and I'm sure after your flight you must be hungry."

Kelly nodded, allowing Commander Shaw and Sarah to make their way to the elevator. Once inside, Commander Shaw looked to Sarah.

"I've recruited you, Sarah, for a very special reason. As it was pointed out earlier, tapping into the Morphin Grid brings up a few safety concerns."

"It's quite powerful. For decades now monsters and even people have been trying to claim or even destroy it for their own personal gain."

"And no one understands that better than me," Commander Shaw assured Sarah. "Your Ranger background, your determination to do what's right, to stand up for all people, your passion for technology and continuous desire to learn are only some of the reasons I chose you as our Ranger consultant."

Commander Shaw led Sarah into a room that appeared to be a gym, however Sarah had the impression that this wasn't the public gym Kelly had access to. Inside this gym we're about a dozen people training.

"To protect the Morphin Grid, we want the best security possible. Barring any complications, our clean energy initiative will be revolutionary. However, just in case, we thought who better to protect our power and our city than the Rangers themselves."

"You're creating Power Rangers?"

"You managed to create the Green Ranger powers in your garage," Commander Shaw said. With top of the line technology and limitless funds, I figured three new Rangers wouldn't be too far to reach."  
Commander Shaw pointed to the people training.

"We know you about your need for speed and so would like to offer you a once in a lifetime chance. Our chief researcher, Nate Silva, created three Power Ranger suits by combining energy from the Morphin Grid with animal DNA. To complement your ninja speed, we assigned you to the position of red Ranger. Your DNA will be fused with that of a cheetah to..."

"Whoa, slow down," Sarah said. "Doesn't my badge say research and consultation?"

"Our Ranger project and our Ranger candidates' identities are top secret. I can't exactly allow you to walk around the city with a badge that says Red Ranger. You will aid with research and as a former Ranger, I'm sure your expertise on the matter is…"

"I'll help in anyway I can," Sarah promised Commander Shaw, but had some reservations she wanted to share. Though she knew the phrase "once a Ranger, always a Ranger", her duties had cost her a lot in two short years. Both her parents were dead, and she had suffered injuries from which she would never recover. She had finally finished with that chapter of her life and was ready to move on. She didn't think she could go on, day after day, risking her life and her health all over again. "But I'm afraid it'll have to be from the sidelines."

"You're passing up the opportunity?"

"I'm getting married, Commander," Sarah said. "Kelly and I want to spend the rest of our lives together. Being a Ranger was tough work, and if I'm needed, I'll step up but… I can't do it."

"Is there any other reason?" The Commander asked. Sarah was their first choice for a Ranger candidate. She had the ability to understand the technology behind her suit her weapons and her Zords, the physical strength and stamina to support her team and the experience to lead and guide them.

"I don't think I'm right for the job, Commander," Sarah said honestly. "When the pink Ninja Star first chose me, I was a very different person. Being a Ranger turned my whole life upside down. I lost both my parents to the job, almost lost a few good friends, and Kelly and I had to fight for almost everything we had. Not to mention, my injury."

"The brain injury?"

"Even morphed, I had to be so much more careful than the other Rangers. The only reason I could continue to be a Ranger after a devastating injury like that is because the Ninja Steel Powers protected me, and I already knew and trusted that my team would watch my back… or head. They also knew about my disability and knew the risks that trusting me would have. Commander, one hard blow to the head could mean lights out forever and if we have to fight monsters, all their blows are hard. I can help in other ways. I can design Ranger tech to help in battles, upgrade armour, guide the team through training and on the battlefield but… If I have a choice, I have to turn down the Ranger position."

"Of course, you have a choice," Commander Shaw nodded. "I would never force such a dangerous task on anyone. I guess we'll just have to broaden our search then to include a red Ranger. Our candidates will be happy. That just increases their chances at getting the job."

"Thank you, Commander. And if it means anything, I'll still be there for the team if needed. I'd just like to keep it pink and ninja themed instead of red animals."


	2. Day One On The Job

Sarah knew her job would require confidentiality agreements when she signed up for it. Even via email and over the phone, Commander Shaw had been clear that Sarah would have a high level of clearance in the building but that it would come with the expectation that she not discuss her work to anyone with less clearance.

So, coming home, Sarah wasn't too sure what she could and couldn't tell Kelly about her day. As they walked into their new home and started to unpack the few things they brought, Kelly began to ask questions. Sarah didn't know how to answer them.

"Do you know what you'll be researching?" Kelly asked.

Sarah shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not sure I'm allowed to say." She knew Kelly could keep a secret, and since they were getting married, Sarah didn't think she wanted to hide anything from her bride-to-be. However, this was a brand-new job, and Sarah didn't want to blow it on the very first day by sharing details she wasn't allowed to talk about. Commander Shaw had even asked for privacy from Kelly, indicating that she didn't want Kelly to know everything going on.

"Even if you leave out the details?" Kelly asked.

"I know it's interesting," Sarah nodded her head. "And I'm definitely qualified for the job. I'll be working with another researcher and helping Grid Battleforce assemble a team."

"A team of…"

"Confidential," Sarah said with a sigh. She hated that she couldn't share her day with Kelly. Fortunately, Kelly seemed to understand, and instead of talking about secret matters, decided to change the topic.

"Well, while you were talking business, I got to sit in the cafeteria and have a nice chat with… damn, I forget her name. Anyway, she's lived here her whole life and told me a few places to check out."

"Any place seems interesting?"

"She said the mall has some good shops, but it's always full of teenagers. The high school isn't far, so the place is always packed with teens just hanging out."

"You know we're still technically teens, right?" Sarah asked with a chuckle. "And if I hadn't skipped a year, I'd still only be a senior, right?"

"We're far more mature than they are now. We saved the planet, we have our own house, you have a career."

"I'm eigh_teen_, you're nine_teen."_

"Details," Kelly chuckled. "She said the park is nice too. Good for an evening stroll or a picnic. And then she suggested this place called Riptide Gym. It's got all kinds of fitness classes, which I think you might like if the Grid Battleforce Gym is a bit lame, but it's also like a hangout spot. It's got a juice bar and seating and since most of the teens are at the mall, it's a pretty chill place. They don't have fitness classes for people in wheelchairs but I'm sure I could make something work if I wanted to keep in shape. I mean, I did save the world in this chair and trained with unparalysed people, so…"

"Sounds like we have some exploring to do."

"We can start with Riptide Gym? They serve food and we have none. Makes the most sense to me."

"Me too," Sarah smiled.

-Beast-Force-

After a night of exploring the city and setting up their new home to sleep, Sarah found herself rather exhausted as she drove into work the next morning. She and Kelly had a great time together at the Riptide Gym, and while it didn't sound like a good place to grab a bit to eat, they found it was fun to enjoy their dinner and watch some of the fitness classes. After that, they did a bit of their own exploring in the city. Kelly picked out a few places she wanted to check out to make their new house a home and the park was a great place to finish off the night for an evening stroll. By the time they got home, it was already late and they realized they hadn't set up their bed yet. Kelly unpacked the sheets and blankets while Sarah quickly set up the bed. It had to be after midnight by the time they were tired enough to sleep, and Sarah had to be at work for six that morning.

She grabbed her coffee and her ID badge before she made her way inside the building. Just like the day before, the same two security guards were standing at the front desk.

"Good morning," the female officer Burke called out happily, while it seemed her brother looked a bit more like Sarah felt. Sarah smiled to both of them and decided that once she was a bit more alert, she would make a conscious effort to learn their first names, so she didn't have to call them male and female officer Burke.

Sarah headed upstairs to her office where Commander Shaw was already waiting for her, fortunately with a warm cup of coffee. Sarah was please, since she was running low.

"Thought you might need a pick-me-up after your first night in a new city," Commander Shaw said as she handed over the cup. "Between the excitement and the time difference, I had a feeling it would be a late night."

"I can function off far less sleep," Sarah said. "And I'd do it before I discovered the joys of caffeine."

"Well you have free coffee in the cafeteria whenever you need it, just don't go overboard," Commander Shaw smiled. "So, I'm assuming if I were to ask again about the red Ranger position, the answer would still be…"

"I wish I could accept it, but there's too much to lose," Sarah said apologetically. "I am so ready to help in every other way, though."

"Excellent, then let me introduce you to your direct supervisor," Commander Shaw led Sarah out into the hallway and down into a lab, where a young man was typing away on a computer. Sarah couldn't see his face, but could read his body language like a book. He was completely lost in his work, and probably had been since the early hours of the morning. She knew that determination well and could only hope that her boss had also discovered coffee – otherwise he might not be too happy to work for. "Nate Silva, I'd like to introduce you to our latest researcher: Sarah Thompson."

Nate peeled himself away from his work and Sarah had to hold back a gasp. Based on the back of his head, she figured he had to be young, but Nate looked younger than her.

"Nate has been working for us as a researcher since he was just six years old," Commander Shaw said proudly. "When he was ten, he stumbled upon a way to harness energy from the Morphin Grid."

"And you're how old now?" Sarah asked before realizing it was a bit rude and took another sip of coffee. Fortunately, Nate didn't seem too offended as he laughed at the question.

"I get that a lot," he said. "I'm sixteen now, and I must saw, I'm thrilled to be working with a Ranger on this project. The Morphin Grid is completely fascinating and though I've been studying it and its energy for about ten years now, I've never… you know… been connected to it."

"As in a Power Ranger?" Sarah asked. Nate nodded his head.

"It's an endless source of power," he said. "It replenishes itself and basically creates energy from nothing! And though everyone here is impressed that I could convert it into a liquid energy that can be used to power the city, I'm looking forward to understanding it in it's purest form."

"As in a Power Ranger?" Sarah asked again. She had to admit feeling a little intimidated. She had always been the smartest kid in the room. Even when she transferred to Summer Cove and met Monty, her test scores still averaged slightly higher than his. She wasn't used to being outsmarted and out-youthed. The fact that her boss seemed to be a prodigy, while she was only a genius, and that he was two years younger than her left her feeling like somehow, she had fallen behind.

And she had successfully invented a time machine – twice!

"So what's it like?" Nate asked her. Sarah didn't know what to say.

"Uh… powerful?"

"Sarah, you'll be working with Nate on our Ranger project. You'll help him develop and upgrade weapons and armour for the Rangers that they can use in battle against anyone who tries to steal the Morph-X, and you can assist Nate with the testing of some of our products. Being a former Ranger yourself, I'm sure you have a good idea for some gadgets you could have used in your day."

"I… I think…I have a notebook full of ideas."

"Perfect, you can bring that in tomorrow and we'll see what we can bring to life," Nate smiled. "Right now, though, I'm working on some basic weapons for the Rangers. Blasters and sabres. Nothing too fancy but enough to get the job done. I also have a special project going."

Nate brought Sarah over to his computer. She could recognise designs for creatures or… robots? Since she couldn't read his notes, she couldn't be too sure what she was looking at, but she was convinced it was both.

"These are Beastbots," Nate explained to her. "The energy from the Morphin Grid is powerful, as you put it, but we can increase that power almost tenfold by adding a few other elements to the Rangers. I've found that by combining our Ranger candidates DNA with animals, we can provide our Rangers with hidden abilities that could help in battle. Commander Shaw already offered you the cheetah red Ranger position, which I know you turned down. The other two candidates will receive gorilla and jackrabbit DNA. Gorilla is strength and the jackrabbit is energy."

"Energy?"

"Well, the cheetah is the fastest animal, but only for short bursts of time. The jackrabbit is also quick but we found endurance would be a bit more beneficial for the longer fights."

"What about jumping?"

"We added that too," Nate nodded. "Now, since the Ranger candidates will bond with animal DNA, they'll need specialized training. Since they're going to be one of a kind, I decided to create the Beastbot. Robot assistants to the Rangers who'll also have a bit of the cheetah, gorilla and jackrabbit DNA in them and can help the Rangers better understand their animal instincts and help with their training."

"Interesting."

"And I thought that could be your project," Nate smiled. "I still have to put the finishing touches on the blasters and sabres, and then I want to create personalized weapons to match each of the Rangers animal abilities and that will take up a lot of time."

"I think I can handle a few Beastbots."

"Beastbots and overseeing our candidates, I hope," Commander Shaw said. "You'll report back here after lunch. Right now, I need you in the training simulator. We have a dozen candidates who are waiting to show us they have what it takes to be Rangers, and I need you to narrow that down to three."

"Three? As in the three who'll be Rangers?" Sarah asked. Commander Shaw nodded. "You do understand I just pulled a small star out of a bigger star? Right?"

"Imagine you were selecting your own teammates," Commander Shaw advised her. "Go with your gut."

"Even if it's full of coffee?"

"There's breakfast waiting," Commander Shaw chuckled. "Don't worry, Sarah. We hired you because we trust your judgement. All twelve candidates would make great Rangers. We just need to find the best."


	3. Choices

The choices were narrowed down to four people. Sarah had to select three of them to be Ranger candidates and one would be the final cut. That morning, twelve people had been in the running and before Sarah had to finish her lunch, she had to have the final decision.

It was a lot of pressure for a new job. Sarah had never had to choose who would make a good Ranger before. She had created the green Ranger powers for Kelly, but her fiancée was just a bonus Ranger. The Prism had already selected a full team and Kelly was there to help whenever and however she could.

Sarah was responsible now for assembling a team. She had to consider strength, intelligence, the chemistry between all three final candidates. She had to judge their courage, persistence and compassion. She had to pick candidates who wouldn't be afraid of danger, but who also weren't going to abuse the powers they would be given. Once bonded with their powers, there was no going back.

Blaze, Roxy, Ravi and Zoey were the final candidates and Sarah thought they would all make wonderful Rangers, but someone had to be cut. There were only three suits.

Ravi seemed to be the most natural choice. Sarah was almost certain she would choose him. He was strong and had outsmarted or physically beaten the other candidates in a spar. He had strong survival instincts and a dedication to following the Ranger rules that Grid Battleforce had put into place. He seemed honourable, if a bit stubborn, and showed respect for his fellow candidates even in the middle of a competition. Sarah could see herself trusting him if he had been on her team, so it seemed right he be chosen.

"Maybe not for red or yellow, though," Sarah said.

"Blue?" Commander Shaw asked. Sarah nodded her head.

"He's got that loyalty trait I think a lot of blue Rangers seem to have."

"He'll be fused with gorilla DNA," Commander Shaw reminded Sarah. "It'll increase his strength on the battlefield."

"I think that's a good match. He's loyal and dedicated to doing what's right. Giving him the ability to crush almost anything, knowing he'll stay true blue is probably the best choice we can make."

"So, Ravi Shaw, then," the Commander said with a slight smirk. Sarah looked up, confused.

"Shaw? As in…"

"My son."

"Oh? So… is this… okay?" Sarah asked. "When my mom found out about me being a Ranger, I'm pretty sure she gave birth to a cow. She worried all the time and…"

"And I'll worry for my son too," Commander Shaw said. "However, he had made this decision for himself, and I wouldn't have let him get this far if I didn't think, as a Commander and his mother, that he was qualified for the position."

"Okay," Sarah nodded. "So that leaves us with… Roxy, Blaze and Zoey."

"Any others seem obvious?"

"Roxy… I think," Sarah said. "She kept her head on straight, always tried to do what was best, and followed her heart, even if that wasn't the command."

"And that's a good trait to have?" Commander Shaw asked with some doubt. Sarah nodded her head.

"Everyone makes mistakes," Sarah nodded. "You heart is always a good guide when you're not sure. I think, if Roxy was on the team, she would have the courage to stand up and do what's right, even if that meant defying your orders."

"When you selected my son first, I thought I'd be able to count on you to give me a team that would follow orders and respect me."

"She will," Sarah said. "I mean… it seems like it. But there are times you'll make a call she won't agree with and, no offense Commander but you'll probably be wrong. I think she'll know when it's time to stay in line and when it's time to push the limits a little bit. If we're going to have a blue Ranger who follows commands almost no matter what, we need someone who'll be okay with breaking them as long as there is a good reason."

"I guess I'll have to agree with you there. As much as I would hate Rangers who disobey my direct orders, the safety of this city is far more important that my title or ego."

"I don't think Roxy can make those decisions on her own, though," Sarah pointed out. "In training, she always looked to the others to make sure she was on the right track."

"So…"

"Well, typically the guy in red in in charge. And while I say guy, I mean person, it just happens to be a guy 99% of the time."

"You think Roxy would serve best as yellow?" Commander Shaw asked, "Provided red is the leader?"

"She's not ready for a leadership position," Sarah confirmed.

"So that leaves us with Zoey and Blaze for red," Commander Shaw stated. "Any preferences?"

Sarah really didn't know what to say here. She had seen them both in training and they were pretty opposite of each other. Blaze was strong and competitive. He was an alpha male for sure, who liked taking command and who could react quickly on the battlefield. His decision-making skills were top-knotch and with a team like Ravi and Roxy, Sarah could see him thriving.

However, Commander Shaw had suggested that Sarah pick people for the team who she would trust in battle. Sarah couldn't see herself trusting Blaze with her life. While he was a good candidate, he seemed to be the type of person who didn't like hearing the word no. He had to do things his way, or he wouldn't do them at all. While training with small groups, Blaze took control, which was needed if he was going to be a leader – however, he didn't lead, he commanded. He told the rest of his team what to do, and for better or for worse, stuck with his plan until the end. Anyone who dared to challenge him was met with adversity instead of an open mind.

And then there was Zoey. She was sweet and desperate to help Grid Battleforce in any way she could. She listened to her teammates ideas and didn't mind as much when she was outvoted on something. She wouldn't be suited to the leader position, but Ravi could easily pick up the slack there. After all, red didn't necessarily need to be in charge. Still, Sarah hesitated to pick Zoey because Zoey often hesitated herself. In the end, she always did what needed to be done, and looked after her teammates while she did it, but any hesitation in battle could mean the difference between a victory and a brutal loss.

The big difference, though, was that Sarah would trust Zoey – just like she had trusted Preston. Her blue Ranger had also been one to hesitate, though he was on a bigger team and his hesitations were balanced out by a lot more Rangers who could go with their gut.

"Any preference?" Commander Shaw asked again.

"I'm torn, Commander," Sarah answered honestly. "Blaze seems like the stronger choice but… I personally wouldn't trust his judgement in battle."

"So, you would trust Zoey?" Commander Shaw asked. "Despite her times showing she lost valuable seconds simply summoning up the courage to face challenges?"

Commander Shaw had shown her cards. She was leaning towards selecting Blaze. He was a bit more ruthlessly, which the Rangers might need. Sarah did only get a snapshot of him and was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe once he had the role of the red Ranger, his competitive spirit would settle to something a little more leader-esque. However, Sarah still couldn't shake the feeling that Blaze wasn't a teammate she would want for herself.

"I think it'll be easier to build her up than it will be to knock Blaze down a bit," Sarah said.

"Our Rangers are going to be online by tomorrow," Commander Shaw said. "We need someone who is ready to go tomorrow. If there's a threat…"

"This is your team, Commander," Sarah nodded. "I don't think Zoey is ready for the job either, but I'm just a consultant. We agreed on Ravi and Roxy and honestly, I won't take it personally if you override my decision here. This is your project."

"Blaze it is, then," Commander Shaw said with a smile. "I'll go tell the remaining four our decision."

"I'll go find Nate, then," Sarah said. She grabbed her lunch tray and cleaned it off before leaving the cafeteria. She was glad she had already eaten because right now, she wasn't sure she could stomach food. She knew regardless, Blaze and Zoey were both great choices, but she couldn't help but think Blaze simply wasn't the right fit for this team.


	4. Zoey Reeves

Zoey Reeves knew the odds were slim. In fact, she considered it a success just making it to the final four. However, it did hurt, knowing she had come so close and still getting cut right at the end. Part of her wondered if maybe it would have been better to have been cut first.

No. She shook her head. She didn't come to Grid Battleforce to be a Ranger – although that was the goal. Her plan, when she applied, was to do anything she could to help make a difference. Grid Battleforce was a project she admired. It saw a problem with the world and rather than sit around, discussing the many things that could be done to solve it, did something. Zoey admired that in people and in business and wanted to be better at solving problems herself.

She wasn't going to let something as simple as getting cut from the Ranger team be the end.

"Commander Shaw," she called out as the Rangers gathered up their things for the tour of the upper floors, where they would be training and watching over the city. Commander Shaw turned around.

"Ms. Reeves, you were a fine candidate but, in the end,, you just didn't have what it takes."

"I get that, and I fully support your decision," Zoey assured the Commander with a bright smile. "You had the pick the absolute best team and if that wasn't me, then it's not me."

"I'm very glad you understand," Commander Shaw said, and she was about to turn around, when Zoey called her again.

"It's just… Commander, I can't just go home. I love this place. I love what it stands for. I can't walk away from that."

"Unfortunately, we have no openings," Commander Shaw shook her head. "As far as the Ranger project is concerned, we have everyone we need."

"I know. And Commander, that confidentiality agreement I signed, I'll keep. My whole life, I won't tell anyone what happened."

"I'm glad."

"But I'll do anything. It doesn't have to be related to the Ranger project at all. I'll serve food in the cafeteria, or pick up garbage or clean toilets. I just want to help, Commander."

Commander Shaw was about to turn her down. There were simply no open positions. However, it occurred to her that this might just be an opportunity both for Zoey and for Grid Battleforce. While Commander Shaw had selected Blaze for the final spot, Sarah's suggestion hadn't fallen on deaf ears. Commander Shaw didn't think that Zoey was ready to be a Ranger now, but maybe in the future she would prove herself.

Commander Shaw knew the risks being a Ranger posed. She had to seriously consider them when her own son told her he would try out for the position. The risk was high, and while she would do anything and everything in her power to ensure the safety of the three candidates, some things were out of her control. If anything happened to Blaze, Roxy, or god-forbid Ravi, Commander Shaw would need someone who could step in their place. Keeping Zoey close might just be what the Rangers needed.

"There has been a backlog in the laundry department," Commander Shaw said and to her surprise, Zoey's eyes lit up. It was a terrible job. She would have to collect, clean, fold and return everyone's work clothes, and Commander Shaw had seen and smelled a few good messes in her time. However, Zoey was sincere in her desire to help and would take anything.

"You can count on me, Commander," Zoey said excitedly. "I'll get a laundry system up and ready to go that'll be so efficient, you'll never wonder about the laundry again."

"You can start by finding and cleaning your own uniform," Commander Shaw said. "There should be some old coveralls in the basement."

"On it!" Zoey said as she raced down to start her first day on the job. Commander Shaw chuckled as she watched the young woman go, and then turned to her Ranger candidates who were waiting for her. She saw Blaze shaking his head.

"Some people are just desperate," he said.

"I don't even do my own laundry," Ravi agreed with a chuckle. "You couldn't pay me to do other people's laundry."

"Lighten up, you two. A job's a job," Roxy told the boys. Commander Shaw examined her team. Her decision was made, and though she was still sure this was the team that was most fit for battle, she had a nagging thought in her head. Blaze and Ravi were both already looking down on people while Zoey, having just been rejected, still wanted to do anything she could to help.

"Follow me, you three. We'll discuss your expectations after the tour."


	5. Devon Daniels

he note on the counter reminded him of a job interview that his father had set up for him. Strings had been pulled and Devon appreciated that his father was looking out for him. However, this job wasn't suited to Devon. He would have to wear a tie to work, sit at a desk and manage paperwork all day. While the salary would be great, and Devon was almost guaranteed the job since his father was the mayor, the young man would much rather do _anything_ else.

His passions didn't line up the with expectations that his father had for him. Devon loved video games. He loved anything tech and loved being able to exercise his creativity and problem solving through simulation. His father viewed video games as a waste of time; child's play, but for Devon Daniels, it was his whole life.

He contemplated going to the interview, just to get his father off his back. He knew there would be a speech, or lecture, if he skipped another interview. He knew he would disappoint his father yet again, but at this point, he was numb to anything his father could do. If Mayor Adam Daniels wouldn't listen to him, and his ideas for his own life, Devon didn't need to listen in return.

He had a karate class at the same time as the interview was supposed to be. Devon decided he would much rather throw a few punches than suck up to a man in a suit, so he grabbed his phone, his ear buds and his brown belt as he headed down to the gym. He made it just in time for the warm up, and as he was getting ready, he noticed who was leading the class. Devon rolled his eyes.

He and Blaze had grown up together, but they were never close. They attended the same school and for many years, they were in the same classes. Even through high school, they couldn't seem to get away from each other.

They didn't see eye to eye. Blaze was one of the popular kids. He was a jock, having been on nearly every sports team, and he was definitely one of the boys, since every other guy in school seemed to want to be just like Blaze. He had a date every Friday night, and another one on Saturday, and while most of the girls knew he was just playing the field, they always fought for his attention.

Blaze had more of a dominating personality, while Devon liked to just hang back and do his own thing. He never admired Blaze, and never would, especially since he saw Blaze as mostly ego, with very little substance to back it up.

So as the class started, Devon shoved his headphones in his ears and did his own thing. When he thought there was something interesting, he tried to go along with it, but otherwise, he couldn't care less what Blaze was teaching. After all, he really only wanted to avoid the job interview.

After a few moments, Devon felt a hand touch his shoulder. He looked over and saw Blaze had noticed he wasn't paying attention.

"Buddy, we're not disturbing you, are we?" Blaze asked.

"No, not at all," Devon said as he started to wrap up his headphones to put them away. He had rightfully been busted. "I was just… um…"

He trailed off when he saw Blaze give him that look. The other man crossed his arms over his chest and though he seemed to be listening, his face told Devon a different story. No excuse would be good enough. So Devon thought, why bother sugar-coating it? He might as well say the truth.

"I see. That was sarcasm."

"The only way you're going to learn karate is by following what I do," Blaze said, and while it wasn't obvious, Devon knew exactly what Blaze meant: it's my way, or it's wrong. "And practicing."

"I totally agree," Devon said with a smirk. "You know, I'm just waiting for you to teach moves that are a little more… challenging."

"You want moves that are more challenging?" Blaze asked, looking a little offended that someone would challenge him and his abilities. Blaze always had to be the best, since usually, everyone considered him as such. "Is that it?"

"That would be great," Devon nodded. Suddenly, he found himself having to duck a roundhouse kick as Blaze did exactly what Devon asked of him. Before he knew it, they were in a fight, challenging each other's abilities. Devon knew he could hold his own, but maybe it wasn't a good idea to tick off his instructor.

Still, Devon himself could be a bit hard headed and since he had practically issued this challenge, he wouldn't go down without a fight.

"Blaze, leave him alone," Ravi, another student in the class called out, but Blaze didn't listen. He continued to fight with Devon, even going so far as to taking up weapons when he knew Devon was empty handed. A cry from another student, Roxy, for Blaze to stop fell on deaf ears. Devon was starting to feel a little overpowered, and hoped that Blaze might listen to his friends so this fight could be cut short. He had managed to outwit Blaze a couple of times, but he found he was relying more on luck than skill at this point.

However, he suddenly noticed an opening. He managed to grab one of Blaze's weapons and used it to steal the other. He leveled them both at his throat with a smirk.

"Okay, I'll admit, a couple of your moves were a little challenging…"

"Devon!" a voice boomed. Devon knew it well. He let Blaze go and turned around to find the disapproving face of Mayor Adam Daniels.

"Hey, dad."

"You are leaving," his father ordered. "Now!"

Devon sighed, rolled his eyes and turned to Blaze, "Thanks for the lesson."

He grabbed his things and quickly got changed before he followed his father out to the limo. Once they were seated and the car started to move, he knew his father would let him have it. Fortunately, Devon knew his father's schedule. The Mayor was headed to Grid Battleforce to hear about the project they were ready to start. He knew his father didn't yet approve of the plans from Grid Battleforce, and that was likely to drive up his temper, so Devon didn't pay much attention to the scolding.

Instead, he thought about Grid Battleforce and remembered the battle simulator they had. He had heard some people talking about it online, and how it was rumoured to be the most advanced virtual reality simulator in existence. Basically, it was one giant video game and Devon just had to get inside.

That was when he noticed his father's visitor's pass, and while his father ranted, barely paying any attention, Devon snapped a clear picture off the pass, and then continued to pretend like he was listening.


	6. Ravi Shaw

Ravi had hoped it wouldn't come to this.

He wanted to be a Ranger. His mother had been working on Grid Battleforce his whole life and he wanted to be a part of it. When he heard they were recruiting candidates, he begged her to let him join. She agreed and he knew he wanted nothing more.

While working for Grid Battleforce, before applying to be a Ranger candidate, Ravi met Roxy. She worked in his department. For her, it was just a summer job – something to keep her busy and get her a little extra money for college. Ravi liked her and by the end of the first summer, he mustered up the courage to ask her on a date. Roxy agreed, and though the date didn't go perfectly (Ravi remembered spilling pasta sauce all over his shirt), it was the best night of his life. Roxy was sweet, and charming, and funny. She was positive and caring, and she made him smile – a lot. When he was around her, or even just thinking of her, he wanted to do better, and be better. She always inspired him.

When he applied to be a Ranger candidate, Roxy followed. She believed in Grid Battleforce's ideas and values and wanted to do all she could to help support it. She also liked the idea of serving her city and being a Ranger offered her that opportunity.

However, his mother had made something clear the moment the Ranger candidates were chosen. Romantic relationships between Rangers were banned. Ravi wanted to protest at first, since he and Roxy were now in a committed relationship, but his mother started to list the reasons behind the rule.

Romantic relationships were a distraction. Your focus would always be on the person with which you were involved and not on the task at hand. It put the Ranger, and their teammates at risk, since the two Rangers in a relationship would always choose each other out of love, rather than make the most logical choice.

Romantic relationships were a weakness. Anyone who wanted to steal the Morph-X, or use its powers for personal gain already had poor intentions. It wouldn't be a far stretch to imagine they wouldn't hesitate to use the love two Rangers shared against them. Ravi couldn't imagine doing anything to harm Roxy, even if it was for the greater good.

A work environment was not the place for a romantic relationship. The responsibility they had to Grid Battleforce and the city was far more important than their personal relationships. They chose to be Ranger candidates; to put their lives on the line, and at the same time on hold.

Though Ravi didn't like the thought of losing Roxy, he did have a job to do. He made a commitment to be a Ranger and to honour the rules and responsibilities that came with it. He just hoped Roxy felt the same. He had hoped they wouldn't both be chosen as Rangers, but since they were, it was time to have the talk.

Before heading into Grid Battleforce that morning, Ravi met Roxy at her home early. He took her down to the park and walked over to the lake. There was a dock over the water that was peaceful and at this time, it would be private. He walked out to the dock with her and looked out at the water as he breathed out a heavy sigh.

"Why do I get the feeling this isn't a good surprise?" Roxy asked about the early met up and the trip to the lake. Ravi couldn't bring himself to look at her.

"We're Rangers now."

"I know," Roxy nodded her head.

"My mother… uh, the Commander made the rules very clear."

"No using your powers for personal gain, no escalating a fight…"

"You know the one I'm talking about."

"You're not serious about that one, are you?" Roxy asked him with a tone of slight annoyance. "Ravi, you don't always have to follow every rule, especially if it's ridiculous. Past Rangers have dated."

"Can you prove that?"

"The new hire," Roxy said. "The Ranger consultant dated a teammate."

"Maybe they had different ruled," Ravin shrugged. "Besides, the Commander brought up good reasons. It's too dangerous to be involved."

"So I'm just supposed to shut off my feelings? Ravi, your mother chose us, knowing we were already dating…"

"That Ranger chose us," Ravi corrected her. "And I doubt my mother would have told her anything about that. She wanted an unbiased opinion."

"Ravi…"

"When we signed up to be Rangers, we knew what we were getting into."

"We also made a promise that no matter what, this wouldn't affect our relationship."

"We also promised Grid Battleforce that we would put our lives on hold. The odds of both of us getting the position were so low, I thought maybe it would work out but…"

"So, this is more important to you, then?" Roxy asked and Ravi could see she was getting the wrong idea. He wanted to tell her that she mattered more to him than anything, and that was the very reason he had to break things off. However, he couldn't. This had to be done. Maybe if she hated him for him, she could deal with it a little better.

"We're Rangers now, Roxy. You know we can't be together," he said. He knew he had to leave it at that. He couldn't say much more without hurting her, or without giving her hope that he might change his mind. The rules were the rules.

He walked away from the lake. Grid Battleforce wasn't far from the park and he knew Roxy likely wouldn't want to get in the car with him. He knew she would make her own way over when she was ready. There was still time.


	7. The Laundry Service

Laundry was disgusting. People were disgusting. How could clothing smell so bad, or get so messy when it was only worn for a single day?

Still, Zoey came to work that morning completely optimistic. She had stayed up all night working on a way to improve the laundry program at Grid Battleforce so it would run smoothly. The old system… there wasn't much to it. All the employees would throw their coveralls, their lab coats and anything else that needed washing into a bin and eventually, someone from the laundry team would pick it up and bring it to the laundry room. Someone else would be responsible for ensuring the clothes were cleaned. Someone else oversaw ironing. Someone else folded, and then the clothes sat in the laundry room for days until someone was desperate enough for a uniform that they would come get one.

Clothing that was torn would never be repaired. There was someone for every part of the washing process, but no one in charge of repairs and replacements. Often, interns and lower-level workers were left with ratty, old clothes – an unprofessional look that often resulted in them getting overlooked for promotions. When Zoey had worked as an intern for Grid Battleforce one summer, she considered herself lucky when she got the uniform with one hole in it.

So, she redesigned the whole process. Laundry crew would be assigned departments, rather than washing jobs. They would be responsible for finding and collecting the laundry at the end of the work day, since most people just dumped their smelly work clothes wherever they saw fit. They would also run the clothes through the wash, and if needed, would iron them the next day. In the meantime, Zoey proposed to Commander Shaw that all employees receive at least two sets of uniforms. This would allow the laundry department the opportunity to wash one set of clothes during the working day, and leave them out so that the employees could collect them on their way in the next morning. Previously, the laundry crew would have to run around all day looking for the laundry, while their co-workers sat and waited for the loads to come to them. Most of the laundry team would end up working overtime due to the delay. Since all the employees had one uniform that they collected in the morning and dumped at night, all the clothes would have to be cleaned before the crew left at night.

Zoey convinced Commander Shaw that doubling, or even tripling the uniforms would cost less than the overtime she had to pay the laundry crew day after day and that the new system would increase job satisfaction, since the laundry crew would have dependable hours that they could work by. And, to please those who liked the overtime work, repairs could be done at the end of the day by employees who volunteered their time. Wear and tear would me reduced by having multiple uniform so there sheer volume of repairs would also be reduced, but since there was lab work, and some job were more physically demanding, there would always be something left to repair for those who wanted it.

It was bright and early, but Zoey was already at work, implementing her ideas. The laundry team seemed to like it since they could spend the day working rather than waiting on others. As Zoey finished leaving out the clean clothes for the employees for when the day officially began, Commander Shaw approached her.

"I have to say, I'm impressed."

"Thanks, Commander," Zoey replied. "We're still working out some of the kinks, but I think this is going to work out much better."

"I believe so too," Commander Shaw agreed. "I'm glad you twisted my arm to let you stay. I'm sure you'll prove valuable to the team."

"Thanks," Zoey answered. She watched Commander Shaw walk away and then bit her lip nervously. "She doesn't really think I twisted her arm, did she? I was trying to be helpful. Does she think I'm annoying?"

"After a while, you barely notice it," Betty said and Zoey flushed red with embarrassment when she found out someone heard her talking to herself. She looked to Betty and Ben and the two security guards arrived for their shift. "Pretty sure we still drive the Commander up the wall, but hey, we haven't been fired yet, so we must do something right!"

"Uniforms are all ready for the employees when they come in," Zoey told Betty and pointed to the table. Betty glanced over and nodded her head while Ben went to collect their security jackets.

"Hey, this is really clean," he said as he brought their jackets over. He smiled at Zoey, "They smell amazing too."

"Which is pretty impressive, since Ben's usually smells like tuna."

"I spilled tuna on my jacket once," Ben rolled his eyes.

"Hey, if you can get that tuna smell out of the jacket then you must be good," Betty told Zoey. "And if you're that good, I highly doubt the Commander finds you annoying. Or at least, she finds you more helpful than annoying. Like us!"

"Uh… thanks," Zoey said and then nervously stepped away to get back to work. She had collected a lot of laundry the night before and so knew she would have a busy day today. But as she walked away, she couldn't help but feel nervous. Her face was warm, her hands were a little shaky and she couldn't stop replaying that conversation over again in her head. Did Betty think she was kissing up to the boss by doing such a good job on the laundry? Did the Burkes siblings think that Zoey was trying to hard? Were they laughing at her and judging her for talking to herself?

"You have to be more normal, Zoey," she said to herself. "And you can start by not talking to yourself out loud. Like now!"

As Zoey made her way down the hall, trying to keep her thoughts in her head, instead of rolling off her tongue, she wasn't looking where she was going. Since barely anyone was due at work at this hour she didn't think that would be a problem. She was proven wrong when she bumped into someone, causing them to almost fall over.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry!" Zoey called out, then looked to see who she had bumped into. It was the new hire: Sarah Thompson.

"No sweat," Sarah said with a smile, but Zoey still felt humiliated. How could she not be watching where she was going? "You're Zoey, right?"

_She's going to report me to the Commander now,_ Zoey thought to herself, then nodded her head. "Uh, yeah. Zoey Reeves. You're Sarah, the Ranger researcher and consultant."

"I am," Sarah nodded. "You still have a job here?"

_She's gonna get you fired, you might as well just quit._ "I wanted to help out… I guess."

"I knew you were good," Sarah said. Zoey looked a little stunned, so Sarah explained. "The position of red Ranger was down to you and Blaze, and the Commander and I were a bit torn."

_I didn't stand a chance._

"You were my first choice, honestly," Sarah told Zoey, who again looked stunned.

"I was?"

I'm glad you're still working here, making a difference," Sarah told Zoey. "I really think you have a lot to offer the Ranger team."

"Can I ask why I wasn't chosen, then?" Zoey asked. Sarah nodded her head.

"You hesitated a bit too much in training. You second guessed yourself and it cost you some valuable time. I had a teammate like that, actually. He was our blue Ranger, but we were a bigger team and so having one person take things slow kinda balanced us out. On a team of three, it's a bit more costly."

"I get it," Zoey nodded.

"But… don't give up," Sarah said. "I really do think the team can use someone like you, so I am glad you stuck around."

"Thanks." Zoey smiled. "You… you really think I have what it takes?"

"You think things through," Sarah nodded. "All the decisions you came to were right, you just need to learn to make them faster, to trust yourself a bit more."

"I'm good at solving problems," Zoey said. "Well, I like to think so, at least. My motto is that I don't run from big problems, I solve big problems."

"I'm a problem solver too," Sarah said. "Goes together with inventing, really. I see a problem and I find a way to fix it."

"Our mottos are similar," Zoey said with a nervous chuckle, but Sarah smiled genuinely.

"I guess they are," the former pink Ranger checked her watch, saw the hands were indicating it was time for her to be in the lab and sighed. "Well, I've got to go. Hopefully I see you around, Zoey."

As Sarah headed off, Zoey felt herself getting warm again, and she was sure her face was the colour of the Ranger position she had clearly lost out on.

'_Our mottos are similar?' God, you sound like such a kiss up. She's probably regretting backing you up right now. Just stick with laundry, Zoey. That's what you're good at._

As she managed her thoughts, another member from her laundry team walked by and gave her a casual nod on his way past. Zoey nodded back, then sighed loudly.

_You didn't say any of that out loud, did you? And what's with that nod? Your head probably looked all wobbly. It's day one of the new job and you've successfully made yourself look like an idiot in front of everyone you've seen. Good work, Zoey._


	8. Roxy and Blaze

Roxy couldn't say she was completely blindsided by the breakup. When the Ranger rules were laid out to them, she knew the ban on dating would be an issue. She and Ravi has been together for a few months now. She had even had dinner with Commander Shaw. Part of her had been upset when Commander Shaw proposed that rule and she had been willing to challenge it.

One of the things she loved about Ravi was his willingness to follow the rules. He was fair and didn't cause trouble for the sake of it. As long as a rule didn't seem completely ridiculous to him, he was willing to go along with it. Roxy always had to push him to push the boundaries a little bit.

Unfortunately, this time she couldn't push him. Ravi has his mind made up. He agreed with the rule too much to break it. When forced to choose between her and being a Ranger, he chose to be a Ranger.

"No hard feelings, no matter what." She remembered telling him that when they announced to each other that they would be trying out for the Ranger team. She wanted to know that regardless of what happened, their relationship would survive. Ravi has promised her that no matter what, they would make it work.

As she finally arrived at Grid Battleforce, she knew she had a choice to make. Could she bear to be on a team with the boy who broke her heart? Would she let her feelings for a boy ruin one of the best opportunities she ever had? Ever since the first time she saw them on TV, Roxy has always wanted to be a Ranger. She loved their selflessness; their willingness to do whatever needed to be done for the greater good. Grid Battleforce was that opportunity for her.

As she cleared security and made her way to the elevator, she bumped into one of the laundry workers. When the worker turned around, Roxy recognized Zoey as the final candidate to be cut from the team. She was a little surprised to see Zoey in a laundry uniform, considering she had been one of the top four candidates for the ultimate job and laundry was viewed as the lowest of jobs.

"You're still here?" Roxy asked and it probably sounded more insulting that curious. Zoey nodded her head.

"Yeah, just doing what I can, I guess."

"In laundry?"

"It was the only open position," Zoey shrugged. "And I love working for Grid Battleforce so..."

"Aren't there better jobs, like, everywhere else?"

"Probably," Zoey nodded as she quickly glanced down at the pile of laundry she had been pushing around. She wrinkled her nose at the couple of boxers she had to pick up from one employee who seemed to think the company should do his personal laundry as well.

"So why stay?"

"Grid Battleforce means everything to me," Zoey explained. "What they're doing for the environment... if it works, it'll be a huge turning point in energy use and reduce pollution completely and I want to be a part of that, even if it is laundry."

"That's pretty noble."

"I want to help out anyway I can. Even if it's literally the least I can do." Zoey nodded.

Roxy's elevator arrived, so she excused herself as she stepped inside. As the elevator lifted, Roxy couldn't help but think about her talk with Zoey. If she had the guts to stay at a company that not only cut her, but offered her the worse job in the building, and if she could make the best of it, all because of a dream or a wish, maybe Roxy could follow her lead and do the same. Helping people, saving the planet, doing the right thing had always been her dream. She wasn't about to give it up for a boy.

When the elevator reached her floor, she stepped off and made her way to the lounge. There, she saw Ravi sitting with Blaze. They were waiting for their next instructions from the Commander while Nate took care of the final touches on the Ranger project.

At first, being in the same room with the boy who had literally just broken up with her was a bit awkward, but Roxy remembered why she was here. This was her dream and she wouldn't let him interfere with that. She didn't smile at him, but she also didn't give him the cold shoulder. Instead, she took a seat next to Blaze.

"I... I'll see if the breakfast trolley needs help," Ravi announced as he quickly got up and left the room. Clearly things were still awkward for him too.

"You okay?" Blaze asked her when Ravi was gone. Roxy assumed that Ravi had already filled him in on the breakup. The three of them had always been something of a trio since they started at Grid Battleforce. They weren't inseparable, but they usually spent their working days together.

Although, that was just as far as the trio went. Roxy has known Blaze almost her entire life. They grew up next told to each other and though they didn't attend the same school, since Blaze's parents could afford a private education, they would always play together on their front lawns, or at each other's houses. Neither had siblings and so they grew up as brother and sister.

Blaze always had the coolest toys growing up and whenever he got a new one, he would share it with Roxy. She could always borrow a toy she was fascinated with, and so Roxy always had something to play with, or show off at school. Since Blaze was a bit older, he always took it upon himself to look after her when she needed it. When she went on her first date, and felt nervous, Blaze promised he would be at the same restaurant and would jump in the give her and out if she needed it. When her parents split up, Blaze made sure Roxy knew she was welcome to stop by, even unannounced, if she was craving a bit of normalcy in her life, or even just to talk.

She knew he could be a bit much to other people. Rude or even aggressive, even. But she knew he had a sweet heart but was just nervous to show it. His father had always been tough, rarely ever displaying any emotion and when Blaze was young, he was often told to "man-up" when he cried or showed any type of emotion. As a result, Blaze learned that if she wasn't aggressive, people wouldn't take him seriously or they would think less of him. Roxy helped Blaze to settle down when he was out of control. She had learned that being a leader and taking control was just part of his personality, and so she couldn't curb that, but she would often try when Blaze was close to crossing a line.

Though she hadn't stepped up at the karate lesson that morning. The student, Devon, has been disrespectful to his teacher. If he didn't think the lesson was challenging enough, Roxy felt he could have left, or could have waited to talk to Blaze after instead of making him look like a fool in front of the rest of the class. Roxy did later scold him for fighting Devon, but knew nothing would have stopped Blaze from calling him out.

"I'm fine," she answered Blaze's question concerning the breakup.

"I hoped he wouldn't do this, but that's Ravi, right?"

"He told me he stills wants to be a Ranger, but he would understand if you quit."

"Me quit? If he's uncomfortable working with his ex, that's his problem."

"That's my girl," Blaze chuckled. He didn't expect any less from Roxy. She had always been tough and never let other people push her around. She did what she wanted with no apologies. He loved that about her.

Blaze knew he was a bit much. He knew the way other people saw him but he didn't feel like he could control himself. He always wished he could be more like Roxy. She was able to stand up for herself and have others take her seriously, but she could do it without coming off looking like a bully. He hoped the more he hung out with Roxy, the more she might rub off on him.

"So you'll be fine?" He asked her. "I don't need to kick his ass or anything, so I?"

"When have I not been able to handle my own relationships?" Roxy asked. "Besides, he didn't break up with me because he fell out of love. He did it because of a rule. He's probably hurting too, Blaze. He could probably still use his friend."

"Hey, you get me in the divorce."

"You'll still be his friend, Blaze. I'll be fine. We can minimize the damage. Not everyone needs to lose something here."

"Roxy, I'm not your kid. I can handle losing the dad of our team."

"Blaze..."

"Alright. I'll be his friend still," Blaze conceded. "But you're my priority here and that won't change."

"Thanks."


	9. Hacked

Devon didn't just love video games, they were a real passion for him. If he could, he would make a living off them, uploading tutorial videos and walkthrough guides on the internet, discussing game updates and their advantages or even how they've worsened the game. He would actively seek out new games that weren't being promoted, hoping to find a hidden gem. He'll, he'd be overjoyed if he ever got the chance to create a video game.

Unfortunately, his father didn't see his passion the same way. Video games were a hobby, not a source of serious income. The Mayor firmly believed his son had more potential that a video game enthusiast and thought Devon would be better off with a more traditional career. Devon constantly tried to tell his father that gamers could potentially make a good deal of money from sponsorships, and that video game design was a true career, but Adam wouldn't hear it.

It caused a rift between them that Devon didn't want to mend, since it would mean compromising on his own happiness and that his father seemed not to want to back down on. As a result, Devon sought to make his own way in the world, and he wasn't above using his father's connections to do so.

While it wasn't a video game necessarily, the training simulator at Grid Battleforce was the most advanced simulator in the world. Gamers liked to be absorbed into their games, so they often sprung for the best audio systems, allowing them to hear all the subtle noises of their video game environment, as well as the best in visual technology, so they wouldn't miss a single thing. There wasn't a detail that was too small to ignore.

So a simulator where you could actually be in the world you were playing in would be exactly what the gaming world would need as the next big thing, and Devon knew if he got a chance to try out the training simulator, he could start to get some ideas for how his own video game might feel and what environment might be cool for immersion.

He had a picture of his father's visitor's badge on his phone. The mayor had been invited to Grid Battleforce to approve their clean energy project. Devon already knew his father was against the idea, since Grid Battleforce had tapped into the Morphin Grid's energy to create their Morph-X.

Devon wasn't sure why anyone would want energy from the Morphin Grid, but that didn't mean there weren't people, or monsters with bad intentions. Since before he had been born, aliens, monsters and robots had threatened parts of the country, and even parts of the planet, in order to harness the power of the Morphin Grid. Every time they tried, they were challenged by a team of super heroes in tight, colourful spandex. Devon admired the Power Rangers, but he was glad to see that the world didn't need them anymore. The Ninja Rangers from Summer Cove in California had finally defeated the last invasion of aliens and Devon hoped that would be the last threat.

His father hoped the same, but had his doubts. With Grid Battleforce using energy from the Morphin Grid and intentionally bringing it out into the world for anyone to use, the Mayor worried it would encourage other villains. Coral Harbour had been lucky enough to be far away from most the attacks over the last couple of decades, so it seemed like they were tempting fate. Devon's father was here to talk them out of their project.

Devon didn't worry about that, though. His focus was the training simulator. He used the photo of his father's badge to fool the security system and when no one was looking, he snuck past the guards and the metal detectors. He made his way to the elevator before he realized the problem he faced.

Grid Battleforce was heavily guarded. They had a security team that rivalled the city's police force and every employee was trained to keep an eye out for intruders. With no badge to speak of, Devon was sure to get catch if he wasn't careful.

To make matters worse, Devon had no idea where the simulator was. Since security was so high, there were no signs pointing him to where he wanted to go. The place was a real maze and it was built that way intentionally to discourage intruders from finding what they needed. Even some of the employees had no clue what was beyond certain floors and only a rare few had full clearance.

Devon was the only one in the elevator until it stopped. A young woman, about his age, stepped on. Unlike most people who worked here, she didn't have a uniform and wore her regular clothing. She did however have a badge identifying her as Sarah Thompson, a researcher and consultant. Her badge also had her clearance level on it. Devon couldn't believe his luck when he saw she had full clearance. He only hoped he could get even luckier and have her go exactly where the simulator was.

When Sarah walked into the elevator, she was headed up. She was going to officially meet the Rangers, help Nate with their bonding and then bring them to the simulator for training. Commander Shaw wanted Sarah to run them through their very first session to quickly work out some kinks in the suits, the weapons and their teamwork.

Sarah scanned her ID badge then pressed the button for the top floor. That was when she noticed no other buttons were pushed, despite there being one other person in the elevator. She turned to Devon with a curious look and he knew he needed a cover.

"First day," he said.

"Second," she told him. Devon was a bit surprised to hear that. It was her second day and she already had full clearance? Maybe sneaking around would be easier than he thought.

"You have to check in a security to get an ID badge before finding your work station."

"Oh... uh, they told me to come up," Devon said.

Sarah frowned. Commander Shaw had run her through all the security measures. Without any ID, no one, not even anyone in a uniform was supposed to be in the building.

"Probably a miscommunication," Sarah said, believing it to be a genuine mistake. "The mayor's visiting so Ben and Betty are probably a bit distracted." She pushes the button to bring Devon back to the ground floor just as the elevator reached the top. She stepped out. "You'll go straight down and then just talk to someone at the desk. They'll figure it out."

The elevator doors closed without Devon getting a chance to sneak out and he felt the elevator start to drop as he was headed back down. He couldn't go back to the front desk, since he was sure he would run into his father.

When he reached the main floor he got off and quickly rounded the nearby corner. He saw stairs and thought they might work, but as soon as he climbed the first set, he was faced with a door. He tried to pull it open, but it was locked and it seemed he needed an ID badge to open it. As he turned to make his way back down, he suddenly heard someone call out to him.

"Forget your badge?" The person asked.

"Uh, yeah. In my car. Too lazy to go all the way back, you know."

"Don't I," the man chuckled as he held the door open for Devon. "I forget mine at least once a week and it's such a hassle when no one just lets you in. I mean, I get the security stuff and all that but who even cares to steal anything here."

"Couldn't tell you," Devon shrugged. "I'm just up on the fourth floor. Thanks for the hand."

"Just don't tell the Commander who let you in and we're good," the man smirked before he headed back to work.

Devon was stoked to see this had worked. He wasn't sure how high up he could go before he was blocked again, but at least he made some progress.

He climbed the stairs until they stopped. He stepped out into the hallway and looked around. This floor, whichever it was, seemed to have a different feel to it than the others. He wasn't where he was supposed to be but he knew that would be where he found the training simulator.

Suddenly, he was faced with another problem. He heard his father's voice from down the hall. If he was caught, he would be in so much trouble his children would be grounded until they were forty. He ducked behind a planter as his father, the Commander and the woman from the elevator walked by.

Our Ranger project is ready to go," he overheard Commander Shaw say and he couldn't believe it. Rangers? Power Rangers in Coral Harbour. "I assure you, Mayor Daniels, that safety is our top priority here at Grid Battleforce and our team of Rangers will be trained especially to keep the Morph-X out of the hands of anyone who wants it for their own personal agenda."

"It's not people I'm worried about," Mayor Daniels responded. "Those monsters..."

"They're gone, Sarah assurer him. "My team made sure of that before we gave the all clear. Oedius and Galvanax..."

"Sledge, Grumm, Rita Repulsa," the Mayor listed. "What else could be out there?"

"We don't know, Mayor Daniels. What we do know is if we don't start using clean energy soon, we'll be our own worse enemies. Monsters like that won't even want to invade because everything will be gone to waste. We understand it's a risk, but we're prepared for the worst."

"I'll need to see it to believe it," the Mayor said.

"Luckily, you will."

Devon followed them into a lab. He hid himself behind some shelves, sneaking in completely unnoticed as no one seemed to know there was an intruder at all.

He saw a large machine in the room and overheard the researcher there announce that this would give the Ranger candidates their Powers and fuse them with animal DNA to increase their abilities. The researcher, who had been identified as Nate, went on to explain everything about what the Rangers could do and how they would benefit the city's security from any threat.

Devon couldn't believe what he heard after that. His father agreed with the project and even admitted, despite his initial reservations, that this was a great idea. He gave his approval and after trying to know the identities of the Rangers, he was turned away. Commander Shaw had one of the researchers take him back.

Devon wasn't ready to leave yet. Though he hadn't found the simulator, he was intrigued by this Ranger project. When his father was gone, the Rangers were removed from what seemed to be stasis pod as they were ready for the transformation.

Devon couldn't believe who had been chosen. Particularly for the Ranger Red position. It was Blaze, the arrogant jerk he had grown up with. Weren't Rangers supposed to be good?

As the three Rangers stepped into position and the transformation began, Devon turned to the computer screen. It was just in time as a vicious snake head appeared suddenly, and only for a moment. Startled, Devon fell backwards, rattling the items on the shelf and drawing attention to himself. Before he could get to his feet, the three Rangers, Commander Shaw, Nate and Sarah were standing over him.

"No one is supposed to be here," Commander Shaw barked at him. "Show me your ID."

"He doesn't have one," Blaze said with a slight smirk. "That's the mayor's son."

"You said you worked here," Sarah said, looking disappointed that he had lied to her earlier.

"I can explain..."

"You'll get your chance later. We have more important matters to..."

"About that," Devon interrupted. "Something infiltrated your system. A virus or whatever."

"Impossible," Nate argued. "I built this system and the firewall myself. It's impenetrable!"

"You'll have a chance to explain yourself later, Mr. Daniels," Commander Shaw insisted as security rushed in. Ben and Betty grabbed Devon to escort him out.

While the others went to resume the Ranger bonding, Sarah glanced to the computer, then to Devon. She knew nothing about him, so had no reason he was telling the truth. He had just been caught trespassing and it was possible he would say anything to shift the blame off him.

However, Sarah couldn't be dismissive of his claims. Even though there was no evidence to prove anything terrible would happen, she remembered an attack two years before that changed her life forever. Certain the villains would want or need nothing from her technology, she took no precautions once it fell into their hands. She underestimated herself and underestimated the resourcefulness of the enemy. While Coral Harbour has no monsters to speak of, was it possible they were on the path to creating one of their own?

She was no computer whiz. Engineering was her skill and she couldn't read any of Nate's programming anyway. However, she asked him to check, just in case. She needed to calm the sick feeling in her stomach.

"Everything's fine," Nate assured her but Sarah wasn't sure. Still, they had performed a scan and there was no evidence at all that the mayor's son could be believed. Commander Shaw gave the order and the transformation started.

Suddenly, alarms started wailing and on the screen, a large snake appeared.

Evox, he called himself as he claimed his intentions to take over the Morphin Grid.

"Dammit!" Sarah shouted as she glanced to the tubes carrying the Morph-X towards the Rangers. She could see Blaze's line was tainted. She wasn't sure what it would do, but she had to do something.

"Nate!"

"I'm trying!" Nate shouted. He already knew what needed to be done and was trying to stop the program, but Evox has locked him out. "Nothing's working!"

By then, it was too late for Blaze. The tainted Morph-X had reached his system. Sarah watched in horror as the you g man fell to the ground and a computerized version of him, in dark red armour, stood in his place.

"Now I know what they mean when they say retirement is a joke," Sarah muttered as she prepared herself for a fight.


	10. Beast Morpher Rangers

Alarms sounded throughout the building as a full evacuation was called. Zoey, who was still on her was to the laundry room, heard the alarm and stopped one of the security officers as they rushed by.

"Is this a drill?" She asked and the man shook his head.

"There's an attack in the lab," security said. "It's a real evacuation."

Zoey nodded and was ready to follow protocol and find her way out when suddenly she stopped. The guard said it was an attack, implying someone was in trouble. He was responsible for the safety and security of the building and he was leaving.

Zoey couldn't leave with a clear conscious. If someone needed help, she needed to be there. Every part of her body told her to run, but she took a big breath.

"I don't run from big problems, I solve big problems." She hurried towards the elevators. Her badge normally didn't allow her access to the top floors but with the evacuation called, all security had been overridden. She made her way to the labs and could hear a battle raging on. She knew it would be stupid to rush in without first checking out the scene so she stopped in front of the door to peek in. That was when she saw she wasn't alone. A young man knelt beside her, looking ready to help.

"Are you security?" she asked. Devon shook his head.

"Trespasser. You?"

"Laundry," Zoey said. They heard another bang and knew they could no longer discuss their qualifications for the fight as they rushed in. Devon and Zoey saw Ravi and Sarah fighting Blaze and Roxy.

"What's going on?" Zoey asked.

"A virus named Evox infiltrated our programming and took control of Blaze and Roxy," Nate called out.

"You two need to leave," Commander Shaw ordered. Devon shook his head.

"Not until we figure this out," he insisted. He was confident he could do something to help. He had fought Blaze that morning and while he had struggled a bit, in the end he had won. With Ravi and Sarah's help, he was sure they could put an end to this attack.

Zoey knew she could help too. Though she had been cut from the program, she had sparred with Blaze and Roxy through training. They always had the advantage over her, but with a team supporting her she knew she could do something.

Against the Commanders wishes, they rushed in for the fight. Devon joined Ravi, who was having a tough time with Blaze.

"I can't say I'm not excited at the idea of kicking his ass," Devon announced to Ravi. "We can't hold back."

Ravi nodded his head. By now the lab was trashed.

Zoey joined Sarah in the fight, pulling Roxy away and throwing her to the ground to give the former Ranger a minute to breathe. Sarah looked up at the help and smiled.

"Bet you're glad you were cut now."

"I'm not even thinking about that right now. Let's help them, even if that means kicking their..."

Roxy rushed towards the girls, aiming a couple of kicks at their chests. Zoey felt the wind being knocked out of her as she fell back on the ground. Her head hit the floor, but otherwise she was quick to recover. She knew Sarah was a former Ranger, and had likely taken much harder hits than that in her career, so didn't imagine her partner wouldn't jump right back up.

"Looks like it's just you and me," Roxy announced and Zoey glanced over quickly to see Sarah was still on the ground, completely unconscious. She had no idea why it happened, but Zoey wouldn't let it stand. She was here to help.

As Zoey fought Roxy, Commander Shaw rushed towards Sarah to pull her out of harm's way. She had no idea why Sarah wasn't waking up, but knew she couldn't leave her in danger for long. Since Sarah hadn't regained consciousness right away, she wouldn't be able to fight even if she opened her eyes in this very moment.

Suddenly, Commander Shaw remembered why they had Blaze as the Red Ranger. Sarah had turned down the position, claiming her head injury increased her risk of injury. She had taken enough chances serving her own team and didn't want to risk her life if she didn't have to once more.

"Nate! Find a way to end this now!" She shouted at the young man. She couldn't very well leave her son, the Rangers and Nate to fend for themselves when she was their Commander and authorizes this in the first place, but she knew Sarah would need medical attention as soon as possible.

"I... I don't know how!" Nate called back. He was hiding behind his computer, unsure of what he could do but the call from the Commander prompted him to try. His computer was still working so he checked his systems. Evox was gone. The Morph-X was no longer tainted.

But that would do nothing. Nate looked to the fight. The only way he could help was if he could create Power Rangers.

Unfortunately, Blaze and Roxy had taken the advantage in the fight, as Devon, Ravi and Zoey struggled just to stay on their feet. Bats couldn't even ask Ravi, never mind anyone to stand for the transformation.

Then, as if fate was telling him something, Nate watched as all three Rangers were thrown towards the pods, each sprawled out in front of them. Nate hovered his hand over the button, praying that anyone, or all three of he was lucky, would step back.

Roxy and Blaze approaches the three, determined the bring the fight to a quick end. As they got to their feet, all three stepped back.

Nate smashes his hand on the button, initiating the transformation and suddenly, three Rangers stood where Devon, Ravi and Zoey once were. With the power from the Morphin Grid and the boost from the animal DNA now flowing through their veins, the Rangers had renewed strength.

Nate watched proudly as the Rangers took control of the battle. Blaze and Roxy, unprepared for this change in power, we're now on the defensive. When it got to be too much, they opted to retreat, leaving their physical bodies behind.


	11. Upsetting News

The news devestated Kelly. There had been an attack at Grid Battleforce which resulted in a full evacuation of the building and of surrounding buildings. The matter seemed to be resolved in under an hour, but Kelly knew it didn't take long for the world to change.

She rushed to Grid Battleforce, glad that she had been given a car by the company. When traffic started to build up, she hopped out, and had no shame in using her wheelchair to push her way through the crowd, either by threatening to roll over the feet of people who didn't move, or by playing on their sympathy.

As she made her way to the front, she noticed the media had built a wall around the building, trying to get a statement from Commander Shaw over what happened. A quick glance to the side and Kelly saw that an ambulance had just finished loading someone in and they were driving off.

"Commander Shaw," one reporter called. "Don't you think the public deserves to know what happened?"

"For the safety of the people of Coral Harbour, and investigation is being launched. However, I do assure everyone that Grid Battleforce is now more secure than ever."

"How can you make that promise right after an attack?" Another reporter asked.

"We were in the process of increasing security for our building and the entire city as part of the clean energy project. While things didn't go as planned, our project was a success and I am proud to announce that three Rangers, whose identities will remain anonymous, will be protecting our Morph-X and every citizen of this city."

Kelly felt her stomach sink. Could it be that Sarah was back in the spandex? Grid Battleforce had recruited her and now they were announcing they had Power Rangers?"

"How can we trust these Rangers are up to the task when you've already reported an injury?"

"The attack was contained to one room of our building," Commander Shaw explained. "The injured individual is the only reported injury and our Rangers were quick to end the battle as soon as they received their powers. While the attack was an unfortunate beginning, you have my assurance that the Rangers will be ready for any threat."

With that, the Commander ended the interviews and made her way back inside the building. Kelly pushed her way to the ramp and made her way inside.

"Commander," she called out just before the Commander could step into the elevator. Commander Shaw turned around and sighed as she looked to Kelly.

"I believe I owe you an explanation."

"Where is Sarah?" Kelly barked. "If she's a Ranger and you made her keep that from me..."

"She is not a Ranger. The position was offered to her but she turned it down. We respected her wishes."

Kelly breathed a sigh of relief, "Good. Can I see her? I just need to know she's okay."  
Commander Shaw hesitated with an answer. "Kelly... As... Ad I'm sure you've figured out, Sarah in an instrumental part in our Ranger program. She will assist with training and weapon design."

"Kinda put those pieces together when you said she wasn't a Ranger."

"Well, while we were creating our Rangers, there was a virus in the program. Our own Rangers turned against us and Sarah was quick to stand against them."

"Is she okay?" Kelly asked.

"One of the hacked Rangers managed to knock her down. It wasn't much but... I think she hit her head."

"Where is she?"

"The ambulance took her away," Commander Shaw said. "We were going to have our medical team look after her when she started to have a seizure and..."

Kelly couldn't stay any longer. She had to get to the hospital.

She wasn't sure where the hospital was in Coral Harbour. She was new and hadn't had a chance to explore much yet.

"Kelly," Commander Shaw called for her but Keely didn't listen. The Commander rushed ahead of her, blocking the way. "Let me take you there. You probably shouldn't be driving."

Kelly agreed, if anything, to get to the hospital quickly. Commander Shaw walked with her to the car and drove her down to the hospital. She talked to staff about Sarah, then gave Kelly the update.

"They're running tests on her now," Commander Shaw said. "But they said she was conscious when they got her into the ambulance."

Kelly nodded her head as she played with the engagement bracelet. She couldn't lose Sarah. Not like this.


	12. The Power Rangers

The Rangers and Nate has finished cleaning up the mess from the attack and very gently placed Blaze's and Roxy's bodies to rest in the stasis pods. They still had a pulse, indicating they were alive, but their condition so far was unknown. Nate has run a scam to find out whatever he could and while Devon and Zoey helped with the rest of the mess, Ravi sat next to Roxy.

He didn't imagine any of this happening. One day ago, they were at the top of the world. He had the best girlfriend, he was one of the top candidates to be a Ranger and his mother's project was going to launch.

Now, he broke the heart of the girl he loved most, all because of a rule? He hadn't tried to fight it, or tried to talk to him mother about being an exception. He chose his career as a Ranger over the woman he loved.

He remembered promising he would never do that. He let her down and now, there was no way to apologize for it.

"I'm so sorry, Roxy," he whispered to her, just in case she was still in there. In case she could hear him.

Deciding he couldn't sit here all day, he went to check on the others. Zoey and Devon has just finished cleaning up and he knew he owed them a thanks.

"Nate said if it wasn't for you guys, I would have been an avatar like them," he said. "Thank you."

"I'm just sorry we couldn't help them," Zoey said sadly and Devon nodded to show he agreed. Ravi looked to him and remembered their encounter that morning.

"When Blaze was hassling you at the gym, I should have..."

"Don't sweat it," Devon told him sincerely. "I can handle myself."

"Guys, I finished my scans," Nate called to the team. "Their bodies are perfectly healthy but their brains are functioning as if they're in a deep sleep. From what I can tell, the virus duplicated them and created basically their evil twins, or avatars."

"So how do we wake them up?" Ravi asked.

"They're linked to their avatars through the Morphin Grid. As long as they're awake, Blaze and Roxy will be asleep."

"So the only way to save them is to destroy their avatars?" Zoey concludes and Nate nodded his head.

"I've updated Commander Shaw on their situation already, she'll be back as soon as she can to discuss what to do next. Blaze and Roxy may be gone but... they'll find their way back here."

"So it's up to us to stop them," Ravi said and he looked to his team. "I know neither of you signed up for this but..."

"Roxy should be here to protect the city herself," Zoey said. "But since she can't, I'm happy to take her place. Until she's better."

"This isn't what I expected when I woke up this morning, but it is pretty cool," Devon smiled. "But I'll do whatever I can."

"Commander Shaw instructed me to take you to the battle simulator," Nate told them. Devon's eyes lit up. This wasn't how he wanted to get there but at least this mess was finally worth it. "You have a lot of training you need to do."

As Nate started to lead the way, Zoey caught up to him and grabbed his arm.

"Any update from the Commander about Sarah?"

"Nothing yet. I'm sure she'll tell us once she's back," Nate said.


	13. The Cyber Dimension

When they left the Grid Battleforce lab, Blaze and Roxy didn't have much say where they ended up. Their surroundings were dark; post-apocalyptic almost.

"Where are we?" Roxy asked as she looked around, trying to make sense of her world.

"You're in the Cyber Dimension," a mechanical voice told them. Blaze and Roxy turned to the voice and saw a robot step out from behind a couple of pillars. "I'm the mighty Scrozzle and this is my kingdom."

Scrozzle looked to the two new arrivals and instantly could determine what they were. They weren't physical beings like him and some of the other robots of this dimension. They had been duplicated from other beings – humans, he believed.

"You two are avatars," he said, identifying them as lesser. He snapped his fingers as a small group of Tronics, his robot footsoldiers, appeared behind him. Blaze and Roxy prepared for a fight. "I'm in charge here. Bow down!"

Blaze and Roxy weren't ready to submit to him. Whatever he was, they weren't going to let him walk all over them just because he said so. However, before a fight could begin, Evox appeared behind them and made quick work of the Tronics, causing Scrozzle to cower in fear. Blaze and Roxy glanced to Evox over their shoulder, recognizing him as they creator and therefore, their leader.

Evox lunged forward, getting into Scrozzle's face as he hissed venomously, "You bow down to me, understand?"

"Spare me, please!" Scrozzle begged on his knees.

"Silence," Evox said. "I must get out of this dimension now!"

Scrozzle got to his feet, glad he had suddenly found a way to be of use to Evox, and therefore reduce the chance of being blown to pieces like his Tronics. "I can help you!" He showed Evox his arm, "I have a teleporter right here. Only… it's out of power."

Roxy shook her head. Before she and Blaze left, she had grabbed a bit of Morph-X from the lab, assuming that somehow, it might be useful. She held up the container, showing it to Scrozzle, "Not for long. Have you heard of Morph-X?"

Scrozzle rushed over and grabbed it from her hand in admiration, "Pure morphin energy! How did you get this?"

"The place we came from is full of it," Evox stated.

"Well, this isn't nearly enough power to move someone of your might between dimensions," Scrozzle informed Evox honestly. "But it could be enough for robots or avatars."

"I must return," Evox stated he turned to Blaze and Roxy as he gave them their mission. "Go to the earth dimension with this creature and return with enough Morph-X. Do not fail!"

Blaze and Roxy knew what they would have to do now. Evox wanted to return to Earth and finish what he started. They knew exactly where they could get some Morph-X but unfortunately, the amount they would need would be heavily guarded. They would have to steal small amounts over time.


	14. The Reeves

Zoey arrived home at the end of a long day. After becoming the yellow Ranger and stopping Blaze's and Roxy's Avatars, Nate has put her, Devon and Ravi through the training simulator. It was tougher than she remembered, though she wasn't training to be a Ranger anymore. She was training as a Ranger. The stakes were so much higher now and she always knew she needed to give it her all , no matter how tired or how sore she felt.

Blaze and Roxy has already proven they wouldn't hold back.

"You're home late," her mother called from the kitchen. Zoey joined her and nodded her head. "I thought they might send you home after the attack."

"Someone's got to clean the place up," Zoey stated. She couldn't tell her mother the big news. She had been sworn to secrecy to protect her identity. Only those closest to the Ranger project knew who the three Rangers were and Commander Shaw insisted it stay that way. "I volunteered to help out however I could to speed it up a bit."

"I figured," her mother said with a smile as she removed Zoey's dinner from the oven. "You work so hard, I can't believe they didn't pick you to be a Ranger candidate. You can do so much more than laundry."

"Pay your dues, right," Zoey said with a shrug. She loved her mother dearly. Mrs. Reeves had always been her biggest supporter. She cheered the loudest when Zoey took her first steps and still bragged to this day that Zoey said her first word two whole month before the baby book said she would. She had always been her daughter's biggest advocate as well, fighting to get Zoey everything she deserved.

However, now that Zoey was an adult, Mrs. Reeves knew to back off. Her days as a reporter had caused her to see too many helicopter parents and she saw the effect that had on the children, who felt entitled and were too lazy to work for their privileges. She wouldn't let that happen to her daughter and so had to let go, even if every fibre of her being wanted to go yell at Commander Shaw for cutting her daughter from the team. Mrs. Reeves knew cheerleading happened on the sidelines and that it shouldn't interfere with the game.  
"That's right," she nodded. "Though, part of me is glad I don't know who any of the Rangers are. Keeps me unbiased when reporting on them."

"Unbiased?"

"Well after all the trouble all the other teams have caused around California, we can't exactly claim they're the heroes this world needs." Mrs. Reeves stated. "They're a reaction to a problem, not a prevention. I have to keep my reporting fair. That's easier to do when my daughter isn't on the front page of every story."

Zoey felt a bit concerned hearing that. Her mother was not going to hold back when it came to the Rangers and that was unnerving. Zoey remembered her mother had recently travelled to Summer Cove when Sarah's identity had been revealed and the fallout from all the negative press had made matters worse for everyone. The Rangers suddenly had to shift their focus between stopping alien threats and keeping the crowd of people under control and safe.

Zoey never told her mother, but at that time, she had been worried for the safety of the planet. She knew her mother was only doing her job and didn't mean any harm, but there were moments Zoey feared this was the end.

The team of Ninja Rangers were a team of seven at the time. More than double Zoey's team now. If they could barely keep their balls in the air, what chance would she have if the same thing happened.

"It's better to have them, though, right? They do a better job than law enforcement."

"They do," her mother agreed. "I don't know, though. I just can't shake the feeling that having Power Rangers is the reason we need to have Power Rangers."

"Like, if they weren't here, neither would the villains?" Zoey couldn't deny there was some truth to that statement. Their current opponents were the chosen Rangers. Had Roxy and Blaze never been asked to be Rangers, or had the project not happened, there would have been no way for Evox to corrupt the program and create the avatars in the first place.

However, that didn't mean there wasn't some other threat lurking in the shadows. It was hard to say, either way, whether the Rangers were needed, or whether their presence was what caused them to be needed.

"I just hope they're good people," Mrs. Reeves stated. "I hope they were chosen for the right reasons. They want to protect people, do the right thing. They don't want to be heroes. Kinda like you." She looked to her daughter with a bright smile. "I would have a much easier time trusting them if I knew they had chosen you. I know you're good."

"Yeah. If only, right?"


	15. Back To Work

Commander Shaw walked into Grid Battleforce a few days after the attack. For now, everything was back to running smoothly. Research into technology that could be powered with Morph-X was back on track, and new research projects for the Rangers were up and running. Everyone in the building was busy with jobs or projects, and it was all running efficiently.

Unfortunately, after the Ranger lab had been attacked, a few researchers had quit, leaving Nate feeling a little overwhelmed, especially since Sarah was still recovering. Since the projects were supposed to remain top secret, it was difficult to find enthusiastic researchers who would be able to keep their work from friends and family.  
Fortunately, Commander Shaw already had a plan. She walked up to the front desk, where Ben and Betty were just getting set up for the day.

The brother and sister duo were a great addition to Grid Battleforce. They were often the cause of Commander Shaw's headaches but they were still a huge asset. They were eager and loyal, ready to help whenever and however necessary. She had initially hired them as security guards, but had soon after noticed they were a jack of all trades. They had assisted in labs with research, they helped the custodians with some repairs and, as far as Commander Shaw was aware, they spent most of their days in or around the building, suggesting they didn't have much of a life outside her walls. While that was a bit unfortunate, it meant the likelihood that they spill top-level secrets was low.

"Commander Shaw! We have a message for you," Betty announced while Ben fumbled with the notepad.

"Already? The sun's not even up."

"Here it is," Ben said as he held up the message. Commander Shaw read it with a bit of shock.

"I was surprised too," Betty nodded. "But then I figured, if she's a former Ranger, three days to rest after an attack is probably a lot longer than she's used to."

"Well, having Sarah back will certainly help things upstairs," Commander Shaw agreed. "And this means Kelly will be able to start work as well."

"Good news all around, then," Ben said.

"And it's about to get better. How would you two feel about a promotion?"

"Oh, we're happy just..."

"We'd love one!" Betty called out over her brother as she practically threw herself over the front desk. "I have so many great ideas for this place, Commander!"

"I'll bet you do," Commander Shaw nodded. "So what do you two say to being my floaters."

"Floaters? That's not a job here?"

"The new Rangers and I will likely need a couple extra hands to make sure thing a are running smoothly, especially when I'm battle. You two are enthusiastic and versatile enough in your skills that I think you would be a great asset to our team."

"You mean we have to work with the Rangers?" Ben asked nervously.

"You mean we get to work with the Rangers?" Betty asked excitedly as she nodded her head.

"That's a deal, Commander!"

"Excellent. You'll need a pair of coveralls today. Hopefully, though Zoey is gone her laundry system is still in place and you'll find a pair waiting for you there."

Ben grumbled as he followed his excited sister away from the front desk he loved so much. Working in security, he never really had to do much. A couple errands here and there, grabbing some things for the employees or visitors. It was an easy day. Now that they would be Ranger assistants, his job was sure to be a lot harder.

But Betty seemed excited and Ben wanted nothing more than that.

As they left to get their coveralls for the day, they rushed past Sarah and Kelly who were just arriving for work. Betty called out a little too loudly that they had been promoted before she rushed off, followed closely by Ben.

Sarah winced at the loud voice so early in the morning. Kelly shook her head.  
"You don't have to come back if it's too hard... or loud... at 6AM."

"I want to come back," Sarah said.

"I don't want to spend my day worrying about you."

"You'll worry whether I'm back today, tomorrow or a year from now," Sarah told her.

"You have full access now," Commander Shaw reminded Kelly. "As long as your work is done by the end of the day, you are free to check in on her as often as you'd like."

"Don't tell her that," Sarah groaned. "She checked in on me three times on the way over! I was sitting next to her! It was a ten-minute drive!"

"We'll have eyes on her at all times," Commander Shaw promised Kelly. "At the first sign of struggle, I'll order you to take her home."

"Thank you, Commander," Kelly said with a bit of a smirk as she glanced at Sarah.

"Yeah, thanks," Sarah muttered. "Now if you two will stop worrying long enough, I can grab a coffee and head upstairs to work on those Beast Bots."

Sarah's eyes lit up for the first time since her injury at the mention of her project. Kelly knew how much Sarah loved to work. Even the most frustrating projects seemed to bring her a lot of joy.

Kelly watched her fiancée go happily before she saw Sarah was headed to the cafeteria and remembered Sarah mentioned a coffee. The doctor had suggested Sarah stay away from it for the time being.

"Decaf!" Kelly called to her as a reminder. She heard Sarah groan.

"What's the point?" The former pink Ranger changed directions and headed to the elevator. Kelly chuckled.

"In hindsight, I should have let her keep her tinker toys."

"She was bored?"

"So, so bored," Kelly nodded.

"I'll show you to your office," Commander Shaw said. "And try not to worry too much about Sarah. Our goal is to keep everyone safe here. The fewer incidents, the better."


	16. Beast Bots

Though it was harder than she would have liked, Sarah was happy to be doing something again. Between her seizure, the concussion and the threat of her injury worsening, Kelly had taken all the necessary precautions. While Sarah was still feeling a little tender and still had a mild headache from the concussion, she had gotten Kelly to agree to let her get back to work as long as she promised to take it easy and stay with someone.  
Fortunately, Nate was also one to come to work early. He seemed to be waiting for her when she walked in.

"Back so soon?"

"Are you kidding? When I was a Ranger, I'd have been in at least one fight by now."

"But you'd have powers to protect you from the injury," Nate said. "I'm fine waiting another day or so if..."

"I'll die of boredom," Sarah shook her head. "So where are the Beast Bots?"

Nate led her over to where she would be working. She saw some blueprints out on her desk, with some writing on them and then some symbols or pictures underneath so Sarah could understand what he wrote.

"The programming is done," Nate told her. "They'll have training lessons, they'll have the ability to speak and respond, they'll be able to assist in battle if needed and adapt to any situation. I've also programmed them with their own individual personalities. I chose to have their personalities contrast those of the Rangers a bit to strengthen the Rangers individually."

"So these will be sentient?"

"Neat, huh?"

"Yeah! RedBot will be excited! And maybe a bit jealous," Sarah nodded. Nate frowned.

"Who's RedBot?"

"A teammate. A sentient robot friend of ours. He lives with Mick, Dane, Brody and Levi."

"You already built a Beast Bot?"

"No. He's just a regular sentient robot," Sarah assured Nate. "No animal DNA involved."

"But you built him?"

"No. I... I'm not sure how he was created. He, Brody and Mick escaped Galvanax's space ship together with the Nexus Prism. We met him when we got our powers so there was enough weird stuff going on that I guess we never questioned where he was from. For all I know, there could be a whole planet of RedBots out there."

Sarah noticed Nate deflate a little bit and realized he was likely proud he had managed to find a way to create sentient robots. Man kind was making progress, but so far, no one had the technology or the understanding for how to create a robot that would act, feel and respond to humans and robots, just like a human. Nate's work was revolutionary.

"But, uh... the animal part is still unheard of."

Nate gave a shrug and then pointed to the blueprints. "I gave an idea for the design, but I'm not an engineer. All I know is that I want the Beast Bots to look like the animals they'll take after and I need them to be able to function in the cockpit of the Rangers Zords."  
"So they need to be able to help on and off the battle field? And with normal and giant monsters? Do you think they'll be a threat with Blaze, Roxy and Evox?"

"Can we risk assuming they won't be?" Nate asked and Sarah shook her head. They weren't completely sure of the threat the Rangers were faced and since every other team of Rangers had needed Zords, it was safe to assume this team would too.

"I can make it work. Might take a couple of days."

"Start with Jax if you need an easier time. He's smaller in design and there's more room in the frame to work. Take all the time you need to get it done."

"On it."


	17. Ranger Bonds

Zoey was excited to be a Ranger. When she had been cut from the team it had hurt her, but it seemed fate had stepped in. While she wasn't happy about what happened to Blaze and Roxy, and she would fight eternally to save them, she was glad at the opportunity that had come from it.

She finished training with her Ranger teammates and went to the change rooms to freshen up. The upside to being the only girl on the team was that she had complete privacy as she showered and changed out of her training clothes. The downside was that she was isolated from Devin and Ravi. While she wasn't sure what the boys did ont he change room, whether they talked the whole time or spent it avoiding eye contact and unnecessary conversation, Zoey usually saw them coming out together and feeling a little closer as friends.

She had friends... though not many. Most of her friends from high school had moved on, either going to college or starting their careers. Their lives had gone down different paths and Zoey didn't know how to reconnect.

When she started at Grid Battleforce, she hoped work would be an opportunity to foster new friendships; this time lifelong. She didn't realize how difficult it would be to do so. All the new hires seemed to quickly bond with each other and Zoey was left feeling on the outside.

Conversations were hard to start. Once she was in them, Zoey could thrive. It was always easier when someone approached her, wanting to share something. The furthest Zoey had gotten starting a conversation on her own was asking the person about their day. Usually, they would respond with the generic "good" and Zoey didn't know how to follow through.

Her mom, the social butterfly promised Zoey it would get better, easier, and feel more natural the longer she worked with people. But Zoey was starting to feel the opposite effect. Zoey felt more and more alone. As other friendships deepened, Zoey felt less and less like trying, and more and more like she was being a bother.

She stepped out of the change room and didn't see the boys anywhere in sight. She wasn't sure if they had already finished changing and left without her or if they were still inside. She didn't want to wait around, in case they were gone and someone saw and thought she was an idiot waiting on no one, but she also didn't want to leave, worried that if they were still getting changed, they would think she had ditched them. She decided to take out her phone and keep busy, that way anyone who saw her wouldn't think she was waiting, just working on something or talking to someone.

Finally, the boys stepped out of the change room, already in mid-conversation.

"I can think of a million benefits to being the mayor's kid," Ravi told Devon.

"I can think of a million benefits to being the Commander's kid," Devon responded. Ravi shook his head.

"Are you kidding? My mom, giving me any advantage? I'm her only kid and sometimes I don't even feel like her favourite."

"You're on the team like you wanted."

"My mother didn't choose me for it. She had Sarah do that she could be impartial."

"Your mom lets you do what you want, though. My dad set up an interview for me cleaning carpets. I don't know the first thing about carpets."

"They're on the floor," Zoey stated but her comment seemed to go unnoticed by the boys. _That was stupid, Zo._

"Sometimes it feels like my dad doesn't even care about me. Trust me, there's no advantage to being the son of the Mayor."

"Or the commander's son."

"Zoey, what do your parents do?" Devon asked. Zoey was still beating herself up over her comment and snapped herself back to reality when she heard her name.

"Me? My mom's a reporter. Channel 10."

"Any perks?"

"Uh... my school wanted healthier lunches one year. Mom pulled some strings, got our voices on TV and when one of the senators heard our story, they made sure all schools in the district had healthy lunches. That's the same year my acne cleared up. Call it a coincidence if you want, but there's totally a link there."

"Nice," Devon nodded. "We're hanging out at your place."

"Are you kidding?" Zoey frowned. "Mom is always itching for a scoop and with the Power Rangers being new to town, she's going to want to find out as much as she can. And she's not clueless."

"My dad was like that," Kelly announced as she made her way over, having just arrived from the elevator. "He was a journalist but any time there was even a whisper of trouble, dad had his ear to the ground."

"Perks to being the daughter of a journalist?" Ravi asked.

"Uh... when he found out Sarah and I were dating, he announced it to the whole world."

"That's sweet," Zoey said.

"Yeah, not so much. He announced how Sarah had poisoned me and all but threatened violence towards the LGBTQ. He kicked me out and mom kidnapped and tortured Sarah. But they're dead now so we're even, I guess."

Kelly looked to the Rangers and saw their stunned faces. She winced. "Sorry. Sometimes I forget people don't all grow up in homophobic homes and are aren't desensitized to my story."

"I'm gonna loosen up on my dad a little bit," Devon commented.

"I won't complain about mom's cooking tonight," Ravi said.

"I think I'll hug my mom when I see her," Zoey said.

"I have a good father now," Kelly smiled reassuringly, then looked around. "Any if you see Sarah recently?"

"She's in the lab with Nate," Ravi answered.

"You don't know if she's had coffee at all, do you?"

"We don't," Devon said.

"You haven't seen her straining or squinting a lot or anything right? She's not like zoned out for a bit or anything?"

"We haven't seen her," Devon insisted. "But we're headed to the lab if you want to..."

"Please? I'm so lost."


	18. A Moment To Rest

Kelly followed the Rangers to the Ranger lab. Though she didn't want to be overbearing, she wanted to check in on Sarah again to be sure her fiancée wasn't overdoing it. Though they did have approval from the doctor to return to work, Sarah was still supposed to take it easy and not work for too long. She needed to take frequent breaks to rest her brain.

However, when they arrived at the lab, Kelly stopped in the doorway for a moment. While the Rangers went to talk to Nate about any new technology for the Rangers, Kelly kept her eyes on Sarah. She wasn't completely sure about the project the former pink Ranger was working on, but she did see the smile on her face.

Sarah was always happiest when she was working on a project. She needed to keep her hands busy. Being a Ranger had given her a lot to do for the better part of two years. Between helping to create Ninja Stars, designing weapons, designing upgrades, and helping Kelly get the most out of her Ninja Star, Sarah was in engineering heaven. There were problems everywhere and Sarah could have a hand in fixing them all.

When the Ranger business was over, there was a shift in Sarah's mood. If the pink Ranger wasn't distracted with Kelly's hospital stay, treatments and recovery, she didn't have much to do. Nothing seemed to stimulate her as much as Ranger projects, where the technology was often so advanced, it kept Sarah feeling challenged and accomplished.

Getting the job at Grid Battleforce was a blessing. While Kelly hadn't initially been on board with moving so far away from home after finally settling in with a family that loved her whole heartedly, she knew this would work out for the best for both of them. Seeing Sarah back in her element, working on challenging, necessary projects made the move worth it.

Though, Kelly wasn't sure what a bunny had to do with the Power Rangers. She made her way over to her fiancée and tapped her shoulder.

"Are robots scared of bunnies and we never knew about that until now?" she asked. Sarah chuckled as she took a minute to rest. She looked to Kelly with a smile.

"Jackrabbit. He's named Jax," Sarah said. "Nate's programmed three Beast Bots to work with the Rangers. Think RedBot, but one for each of us and catered to our needs and abilities."

"This one's Zoey's, I'm guessing," Kelly chuckled and pointed to the colour of the parts. Sarah nodded her head.

"He's small, so he's an easy start. There's not as many problems to work out with his design so Nate said I could start here. He's still up to the task, though. It's gonna take a lot to tear him up."

"He's cute," Kelly said.

"He'll be done soon and then you can tell him that yourself," Sarah told her. "Then I'll have to work on Smash and Cruise… who sounds a lot like Mick, though Nate doesn't believe me."

"I've never met Mick so how am I supposed to know?" Nate commented from across the room. Sarah shook her head.

"You spoke to him on the phone," she responded with a chuckle.

"You called Mick just so Nate could hear his voice?" Kelly asked.

"Just wait until Cruise is up and running and you hear him talk. Then you'll believe me and Nate will have to admit I'm right."

"Your fiancée will be biased, doesn't count!"

"You won't let him come visit, so how else am I supposed to get you to believe me?" Sarah rolled her eyes at Nate, then looked to Kelly with a smile.

"You love it here, don't you?" Kelly asked her. Sarah nodded excitedly.

"How's your job going?"

"I realized a statement to the Press detailing everything that happened in the attack," Kelly stated. "I made sure to put extra emphasis on the fact that the Rangers and their team handled the problem together, and that the more time that passes and the more they train, the better things will get," Kelly nodded. "I've done all I can to be truthful and keep people on our side."

"Can't help how people interpret things, though."

"Hey, we can have a few haters out there, as long as no one's looking to try and kill a Ranger, we're good."

"Other than the bad guys, right?"

"Of course," Kelly chuckled. "So you're doing okay? Headache is…"

"Honestly, Kel, this feels more like playtime than work. And Nate's overly cautious enough for the both of us. Every hour I get a ten-minute break where I have to take care of myself. If I don't, he locks me out of the lab."

"I like him."

"I think I do too."

"You think?" Kelly asked curiously. Sarah nodded her head before she glanced to Nate to see he was busy talking to the Rangers. She lowered her voice slightly, so no one would overhear their conversation.

"It's a bit weird… him being… so young."

"He's two years younger than you," Kelly chuckled. "Granted, he looks much younger than you do… uh, no offense."

"I just… I'm not used to this," Sarah said. "I've never been outsmarted before, especially by someone so young."

"Oedius."

"She's an alien, she doesn't count."

Kelly nodded her head and leaned forward. "It was bound to happen at some point, right? We're in the real world now, and though your IQ and problem-solving skills are very impressive, there had to be someone out there who was just a little smarter, or just a little faster."

"I guess."

"It's a new feeling, so it's going to be weird," Kelly said. "But even though he's younger than you and your boss, you're the engineer. You have a skill he needs. We're all the best at something, and someone is always better than us at something else."

"I guess you're right," Sarah nodded.

"You're still superwoman to me," Kelly kissed her fiancée gently before hearing a cough from the others. She turned and looked to the Rangers and Nate.

"You know, the Ranger rulebook does state no romantic relationships between teammates, right?" Devon chuckled.

"Okay, A: I didn't know that," Kelly said. "B: we were hired as a couple engaged to be married, and C: we're done with the Ranger stuff. We're just the help now."

"Don't let my mom see the public displays of affection, though," Ravi teased.

"I've got to get back to work anyway. I'll bet I have hundreds of emails to answer already," Kelly announced. She kissed Sarah quickly one last time, then headed out and let Sarah focus on getting back to work.


	19. Ben and Betty

While their job title was a bit ambiguous, Betty was eager to help out however she could. Since she and her brother had been promoted by Commander Shaw to assist the Rangers, both on and off the battlefield, ideas had been swirling around in her head.

She had always been the helpful type, though usually her desire to help often got her into trouble. She always had the right intentions, but when it came to execution, she was never completely sure what went wrong.

Growing up, she spent a lot of time in trouble, both at home and at school. At home, she would get grounded when she tried to help her mother by having dinner ready when she got home from work. However, she would end up making a mess in the kitchen, or setting off the smoke alarm, and everything would be a disaster. Her mother, rather than seeing that her daughter meant well, came home tired and exhausted to a problem that needed to be addressed and punished Betty for it. Evenings would be spent in her bedroom, often without supper.

When someone at home complained that something wasn't working right, Betty would do hours of research so she could fix it. She remembered one time her father complained that the remote wasn't changing channels anymore and Betty opened it up while he was out running errands, then realized the problem wasn't the remote, but the TV. She had just opened it up when her father came home, his arms full of grocery bags, to see his daughter dissecting his TV. Instead of letting Betty finished the work she insisted she knew how to fix, he sent her to her room.

Ben had seen Betty get in trouble a lot and didn't want that for himself. Since he was the little brother, his parents often assumed that Betty forced him to go along with her antics when he was around and so never punished him for it. Ben would then listen as his parents complained about how much Betty was costing them in burned food, broken electronics and hospital bills from burns and injuries sustained from her trying to help out. He spent most of his time with his sister, since both their parents worked and neither had many friends at school, and so he knew Betty always meant well. When she was sent to bed without supper, Ben always snuck a bit of food up, just to cheer her up and so she wouldn't go to bed hungry.

As Betty got older, her parents were less and less patient with her. She had to start paying for the damage she caused and they refused to bail her out when the school called to say that she had tried to be helpful again. The lack of support from her parents meant that if Betty wanted to keep being Betty, she was going to have to pay for it. So, she got a job.

At the same time, Grid Battleforce had a job opening for a security guard. The pay was good and Betty was excited to work for a company that shared her same values in helping people out. When she told her parents she applied to the job, they weren't impressed. If anything, they were glad she would be someone else's problem for eight hours of the day.

Ben didn't feel the same. He was worried. His big sister had a big heart, but she was not cut out for security – not alone at least. Though she was his older sister, she was much smaller than he was, barely standing five feet tall. She was tough, but she had no formal training as a security guard and Ben worried that even with all her might and all her passion for doing the right thing, someone else with the wrong intentions and just as much might would take her out.

So he applied for the job as well and as luck would have it, Commander Shaw hired them both. Ben could look out for his older sister and support her and maybe this job would help her refine her skills a little bit.

Betty was overjoyed she had been hired. For the first time in her life, someone actually wanted her help. She had no idea what Commander Shaw saw in her, but she was sure it was something that her parents and her teachers had missed. She was thankful for the job opportunity and promised Commander Shaw, from that day forward, she would always do her best to help.

There were a few write-ups along the way, and a couple times Betty had been called to the Commander's office for a scolding. Ben was always waiting just outside to comfort his sister. However, despite the screw ups, neither were ever fired. Though Ben was always reluctant to do anything at work, he did genuinely love his job. While he had two parents at home who loved and cared for him deeply, he knew Betty didn't feel the same way. In a way, Commander Shaw had taken on that parental role that Betty seemed to need. A firm hand when she genuinely screwed up, but an everlasting sense of potential in the young woman.

So, while Ben didn't necessarily want to get promoted, Betty was over the moon and Ben couldn't argue with her. Besides, he thought it might be cool that they would have top secret information.

For Betty, this was the first time her efforts were ever acknowledged. Commander Shaw had the pick of the litter in terms of who to promote to assistants, but she had chosen her and Ben. Betty was one more determined to do right by the only person, other than her brother, to believe in her.

Which was why she was so excited when she came in that morning, at an early hour, to finish up her latest project: the Zap-O-Matic.

"Are you sure the Rangers are going to need this?" Ben asked tiredly as he carried two cups of coffee in, both for him. Betty never needed coffee in the morning as she was always full of energy. Ben liked to tease that her someone had switched her on and now the switch was jammed and she couldn't turn off to rest.

"The Rangers need all the weapons they can get," Betty nodded her head. "Cops use tasers. Ours will just be a little stronger. You know, for robot bad guys."

"Okay, makes sense," Ben nodded his head. "Are you sure we should be playing around with electricity?"

"I know what I'm doing, Ben."

"Famous last words, Betty," Ben sighed, but after he finished his first coffee, he offered his sister a little help.


	20. Commander Shaw

Commander Shaw woke up that morning feeling proud. All her projects were coming together. The Morph-X was soon going to be available to the public as a new source of energy, her Ranger team was coming together beautifully and today, Nate and Sarah would unveil the Beastbot project, which would finally complete the Zords, allowing the Rangers to access everything they needed to stop any threat in the city.

She remembered jotting down her plans for Grid Battleforce on a paper napkin in a diner while feeding her newborn son. She remembered being so angry that the planet her generation would leave for him would be worse off than how they had received it.

While there were a number of global efforts aimed to reduce emissions and slow global warming, no one was making any real progress. Commander Shaw wanted that to change quickly. She couldn't imagine burdening her son with her generation's mistakes. She started Grid Battleforce as a research company looking for clean energy that would be as efficient, if not more, than the energy the planet used now.

She remembered that feeling of joy when she discovered Nate. He was just a kid at the time, but also far more. Though he was only six, he showed a potential for learning that far exceeded the first, second and even third grade. His parents, who were often overseas for work, consented to Commander Shaw taking him under his wing. She gave him a proper education for a child of his intelligence as well as a job working for Grid Battleforce. The work he did as a research stimulated his mind more than any of the homework Commander Shaw could ever assign to him. Four years later, his research paid off when he found a way to tap into the Morphin Grid and harness its energy. Six years later, that energy was finally safe enough for the public to use and Nate wasn't just working on the Morphin Grid research, but he had developed and designed the Power Rangers himself.

Commander Shaw didn't take long to notice that if Nate thrived, the company thrived, and today, that rang true.

She got herself up and ready for work. She didn't even bother to wake Ravi up, since at the first blast of his alarm, she could already hear him walking across his bedroom floor to shut it off.

As proud as she was of Nate, Ravi was her pride and joy. He grew up disciplined, organized, and always doing his best. He was a good young man with a good head on his shoulders, and though this project had initially been for him, Ravi had stepped up to follow in her footsteps, determined to help out with saving the planet anyway she could.

Commander Shaw did worry about him now that he was the blue Ranger, but she was also proud of what he had accomplished so far and knew holding him back would be a disservice to him, to Grid Battleforce and to the planet.

She made a pot of coffee and while it brewed, she showered and fixed herself up. Her and Ravi had their morning routines down to the second and as expected, they both arrived in the kitchen as the coffee maker finished. Ravin grabbed the thermal mugs while Commander Shaw took out the milk. Ravi poured the coffee, she added the milk and then off they went. They drove in together – of course. It would be hypocritical of them not to.

When they arrived to work they went their separate ways. Ravi had to meet the Rangers for training and Commander Shaw wanted to check up on all the projects on the go. She stopped first in her office, which she had allowed Ben and Betty to borrow to work on their project. She saw them testing what appeared to be a taser on a dummy, but nothing happened. She rolled her eyes. She appreciated their enthusiasm, though doubted any of their self-driven projects would be beneficial. They were more so the helping-hands type than the take charge type.

She then made her way to the Ranger lab to find Sarah putting the finishing touches on Cruise.

"They're ready?" she asked. Sarah turned around with a smile.

"As promised."

"And you're feeling…?"

"So much better today," Sarah assured her. Commander Shaw still felt some degree of guilt over Sarah's concussion and the danger the former pink Ranger found herself in. Though Sarah was an adult and able to take her own risks and make her own decisions, Commander Shaw never wanted something like that to happen again. She remember seeing Zoey pop up after the blow, but Sarah, a seasoned Ranger, remained laying on the ground, completely vulnerable to another attack. She remembered the panic she felt when the pink Ranger wasn't moving and how she wouldn't know how to explain any of it to the people who cared for Sarah most.

To see her doing better eased that guilt a bit, but Commander Shaw never wanted that to happen to anyone again.

"I'm glad to hear it."

"Working on this project helped, I think," Sarah said. "You know how they say do something you love and you'll never work a day in your life. This is it."

Commander Shaw nodded. "Well, hopefully you'll feel the same way about your next task. The Rangers are prepping for training. Since you have real Ranger experience, I thought you might be able to help them."

"I can give out pointers, but sparing with them if off the table," Sarah said. "Those aren't doctor's orders, but if you have a problem with them, you can take it up with Kelly."

"I think I'll agree with her on that one. We don't need to be taking any unnecessary risks," Commander Shaw said before she dismissed Sarah. When the former pink Ranger was gone, Commander Shaw got a closer look at the Beast Bots. They would officially be activated for the first time in front of the Rangers, but Commander Shaw liked getting a first look. So far, she had only seen blueprints and heard Nate share with her how he was worried about the design of the final product. Though he could build weapons for the Rangers, these robots far exceeded his engineering abilities.

Sarah, though, had completed this project in no time – and with a concussion! With Nate in the lead and Sarah there to offer this kind of assistance, Commander Shaw knew she had the best team possible to see her vision through.


	21. Training Partners and Leaders

Waiting in the hallway for the boys was awkward. Mostly because Zoey didn't know what to say as she waited with Sarah. The former pink Ranger was texting with Kelly, updating her fiancée on the training and reassuring her that she didn't participate physically. When Sarah finally put her phone away, Zoey didn't know if she should say something, or continue the silence, and argued with herself mentally until Sarah let out a loud sigh.

"Are they taking a bath or a shower in there?" she asked. "How long has it been?"

Zoey checked the time on her phone. "Just ten minutes."

Sarah walked to the door of the boys' changeroom and beat on it. "Hey! I've had less time to recover between injuries than this! Get showered, get dressed and get out here!"

"They're usually talking," Zoey said. Sarah turned to her.

"Huh?"

"Talking. To each other. They're always mid-conversation when they come out. I think that's why they're taking so long."

"We can't have a team of mostly girls because of the chit-chat, but when guys do it, it's important," Sarah rolled her eyes. Zoey frowned.

"Who said that?"

"No one… not to me, directly at least, but I'm sure someone's said it at some point," Sarah said.

"They're getting to know each other, I guess."

"Well they can do it out here and get to know you a little better too," Sarah said. She pounded on the door again. This time, Ravin and Devon stepped out.

"Dude," Devon frowned. "Haven't you heard of patience?"

"I'm normally very patient," Sarah said. "But when it takes you twice as long as Zoey to get ready…"

"There's twice as many of us," Ravi said. Sarah crossed her arms.

"Do you dress each other one at a time?" she asked and Zoey chuckled. "Commander Shaw wanted us upstairs five minutes ago. She's got something important to share and I'm feeling pretty excited about it."

"This is it," Ravi said with a knowing smile. Devon turned to him.

"What's it?"

"We've been Rangers for about a week now," Ravi said. "And like all Ranger teams, there needs to be a leader. I think the Commander finally made her decision."

Sarah frowned and looked skeptically to Zoey. She knew the Rangers were going to meet their Beast Bots today. She also assumed that, like on Ranger teams before them, Red would take the lead in the battlefield.

Of course, as Sarah thought about it a little more, this Ranger team wasn't the first choice. While Ravi had been chosen for the role, Devon and Zoey literally fell into the red and yellow suits. Maybe Commander Shaw was going to mix up things a little bit.

"I'll bet you the Commander is going to announce that I'm the leader," Ravi said. Devon shrugged his shoulders, as if he couldn't care less. Sarah let out a chuckle, which seemed to offend Ravi. "What? You don't think she'll pick me?"

"It's just… we had a leader picked out before the whole avatar thing," Sarah shrugged. "And it wasn't you."

"I was the only one actually chosen for this role," Ravi reminded her. Sarah shook her head.

"Actually… someone else was chosen… your mother just… didn't agree," Sarah said as she cast a glance at Zoey. The yellow Ranger already knew this. She and Sarah had had a quick chat once before Zoey fell into her Ranger position. Sarah had shared that Zoey was her first choice, but explained why she had been cut despite that. "Zoey was my choice for red and so… my choice for leader."

"Me? A leader?" Zoey asked.

"Commander Shaw didn't agree, but she didn't completely disagree either," Sarah said. She saw Ravi's face fall a little bit. "But hey, you'll both make great leaders."

"Why don't we see what she wants, instead of guessing?" Devon suggested and the team headed off to the labs. Once there, they were greeted by Commander Shaw. She smiled brightly as she looked to them.

"Good morning, Rangers. It's time to meet your new tactical companions," she announced. The Rangers looked excited. Nate had mentioned his project before, about building what would be an aid to the Rangers in battle, as well as help with training, but in order to keep some of the surprise for the reveal, he never shared with them the details. Finally, Sarah had finished with all three Beast Bots and they were ready for the big unveiling.

The doors to the lab opened. Nate stood next to one of the Beast Bots, running just one more final scan to be sure his programming had worked without a hitch or virus. When the Beast Bots turned on, he didn't want them to be infected with Evox like what happened with Blaze and Roxy.

Sarah hopped over to the bots and held her arms out excitedly, "Tada! Your very own RedBots."

"Beast Bots," Nate corrected her. "They're more than just robots. Their circuits are infused with animal DNA."

"RedBot was more than just a robot too," Sarah muttered.

"You build these?" Zoey asked. "That's amazing!"

"I programmed them," Nate said. "Sarah built them."

"Want to meet them?" Sarah asked the team, who all nodded excitedly. Nate stood behind Jax, the yellow Beast Bot and switched him on. The lights lit up, indicating he was starting up. Very quickly, he came to life, advancing towards Zoey. Confidently, he introduced himself.

"Zoey! I'm Jax the jackrabbit! I'm here to make sure you're fast and efficient," he said. Zoey knelt before her Beast Bot.

"Great, thanks," she smiled. She reached out and rubbed his head. "You're so cute!"

"I hate when people call me cute," Jax told her and Zoey pulled her hand away quickly, as if Jax had gone to bit it.

"Sorry," she said, backing off slightly.

Nate switched on Smasher, the blue Beast Bot. He came to life just as quickly as Jax, but with a lot more enthusiasm.

"Ravi! My name is Smash the gorilla !" he opened his arms wide as he approached the blue Ranger. "Oo-oo-oo! Bring it in!"

Ravi backed up and shook his head as Smash tried to hug him, "Uh…Sorry. I'm not really the hugging type."

"Aww," Smash said sadly, and like a balloon he seemed to deflate. "But I like hugs."

Nate switched on the last Beast Bot.

"Hi, Devon! My name is… uh…"

"Mick," Sarah whispered. Nate shot her a glance, then helped the red Beast Bot.

"Cruise," he told everyone. "He's a little forgetful."

"That's right! I'm Cruise! The cheetah! Would you like to take a ride?"

Cruise jumped backwards in the air and as his did, his body transformed into a bike. Devon couldn't contain his excitement.

"That's so cool! These Beast Bots are awesome!"

"The Beast Bots won't just help you in training," Commander Shaw explained while the Rangers admired their new companions. "They'll also function as the console of your new Zords."

Sarah pulled up an image on her tablet, showing the Rangers footage of their Zords stored in the lower level of the basement. The Rangers looked to the images in awe.

"And with all this new hardware, it's critical the Rangers have the right leader," Commander Shaw announced. Ravi was quick to jump in, glad that he was right about the Commander's big news.

"I'm happy to accept the responsibility, Commander," he said.

Devon and Zoey looked to each other, before Zoey glanced to Sarah. The former pink Ranger seemed to be encouraging her to step up. Since their original team had been corrupted by Evox, neither Sarah nor Commander Shaw had any real thoughts on who was best suited for leader. However, because Zoey had been in the running for red, and therefore in the running for the original leader of the team, Sarah had hopes that maybe this might work out in her favour.

"I… uh… I don't think she had you in mind," Zoey told Ravi, who frowned deeply.

"Who else? Remember, I'm the only one who actually made the team. I have the most experience."

"I have experience," Zoey argued. "I reorganized the entire Grid Battleforce laundry department."

Ravi chuffed, "Like that's tough."

"How would you know?" Commander Shaw asked her son. "You've never done a piece of laundry in your life."

Devon chuckled quickly before he leaned into Sarah, "Well, I guess we can't claim the Commander plays favourites with her son."

"Devon," Commander Shaw called to him, making Devon turn slightly red thinking he had been caught. "What do you think?"

"I think that…" Devon trailed off. He didn't want to take sides with his new friends, and if he was honest, he didn't really care who led the team. He trusted they both wanted the same thing as him, which was to keep the city safe. As he tried to think of what exactly he needed to say, his eyes caught sight of Nate's latest project. It looked like a red cheetah blaster, and he couldn't wait to find out what it did.

More than that he was glad he had found a distraction. As he went over to get a closer look, and Nate followed, Commander Shaw turned to her two leader candidates.

"I'll let your team sort this out for themselves," she told them. "Let me know once you've come to a decision."


	22. A Hitch or Two

It was only a matter of time before Blaze and Roxy made their return. The alarms rang loudly through the whole Grid Battleforce building as the Rangers rushed to the lab to see what was going on.

"There's a security breach outside one of the Morph-X distribution centres," Commander Shaw stated as soon as the team arrived. Ben and Betty, who were right behind them, heard this too.

The Rangers wasted no time in heading out. Betty watched them go, for a moment, before she turned to Commander Shaw.

"We can help. We just finished a new weapon I know can help!"

Commander Shaw gave them a nod. Ben and Betty had been promoted for this very reason. While they could be more trouble than they were worth, they had the potential to be of great assistance to the Rangers in battle. They were brave and willing to do what needed to be done. And since Commander Shaw couldn't be on the battlefield with the Rangers, she wanted to be sure someone was there as an extra hand.

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Commander?" Sarah asked as Betty bounced off excitedly, with Ben dragging his feet behind her. "They don't have powers."

"They're excitable, But they've never been reckless," Commander Shaw said.

Kelly arrived through the doors in that moment. Since she had gotten the job as the head of public relations, she had been granted full access to the building. While she had her own office and plenty of work to keep her busy on a regular day, Kelly needed to know exactly what was going on in battles so she could report it honestly to the public and be sure the Rangers didn't receive negative press from outside media.

"What's happening?"

"Security breach at the Morph-X distribution centre," Commander Shaw stated.

"First public fight," Kelly said worriedly. "Do you think they're ready?"

"We weren't," Sarah told her. "We made it work."

They watched the screens as the Rangers arrived on scene. Ben and Betty weren't far behind. Security cameras from the building could catch the whole battlefield.

"How many of these cameras can we tap into?" Kelly asked.

"All city and traffic cameras, and even business security cameras," Nate answered. "The Mayor understood it would help with surveillance."

"And I have access to that?" Kelly asked. She wanted to be sure what she could use in her releases and what Commander Shaw wanted to keep hidden.

"Avoid exposing Ranger identities and anything you think you need is yours," Commander Shaw approved.

"Commander, we're having a bit of an issue," Nate called. "Ravi and Zoey are... showing off?"

"What?" Commander Shaw frowned. She made her way over. She watched as Zoey and Ravi seemed to bicker, and from the sound of it, they were trying to establish on the battlefield who the better leader would be, splitting their attention away from the Tronics they were meant to be fighting while Devon was busy holding off Blaze. When he finally had a minute to catch his breath, Devon ran to his teammates to refocus them.

"And the long-standing tradition of red leaders continues," Sarah muttered.

"One fight does not a leader make," Commander Shaw told her.

The battle continued, but this time, it wasn't Blaze Devon was fighting. While he had to break up his teammates bickering, Devon and Scrozzle has time to create a robot. Cyclotron appeared on the battle field. Zoey and Devon, who wanted to split the blue and yellow Rangers up still had Tronics to manage, so it was up to Ravi to handle the robot himself.

The Rangers managed well, for the most part. There were a few hiccups as everyone expected, they were were quickly overcome as Devon summoned Cruise as a bike to help finish off the Tronics.

Suddenly, a stray, starving dog rushed into the battlefield and stopped at a pile of garbage, which had been knocked over during the fight. He rummaged for food, completely ignoring the fight happening behind him.

Devon saw the dog and suddenly lost complete control of himself. He was frozen, staring at the dog, and there seemed to be nothing he could do to get that control back. He was vulnerable on the battlefield.

"Nate, what's happening?" Devon asked through the communicators. "Why can't I move?"

"I... I don't know," Nate answered. "Just hold tight, I'll figure it out."

"I don't have much of a choice," Devon commented, unaware that behind him, one remaining Tronics was slowly approaching.

Ben and Betty, who so far had only been watching the fight, knew they needed to act. Devon was in trouble and Ravi and Zoey were now busy dealing with Cycletron.

"We have to help," Betty told her brother before she raced into the fight. She stood between Devon and the Tronic, then looked around for something to throw.

"Eat trash you... trash!" Betty shouted as she launched a piece of wooden debris at the Tronic. It didn't hurt the robot but it caused enough of a distraction for Ben to sneak up behind it and zap it using their new weapon: the Zap-O-Matic.

The Tronic sparked, then crumbled as the added electricity in its system caused it to short out. At that same moment, Devon watched the dog run off, having found no more food on the trash. He breathed a sigh of relief, then turned around to thank Ben and Betty for their assist.

"You saved my butt. Thanks. Now get somewhere safe!"

"But we can..."

"You heard the man," Ben interrupted his sister as he grabbed her and dragged her off. The Rangers had this under control.

At least, that was what the siblings thought. Though the battle with Cycletron wasn't over, it seemed Ravi had set his sights on a new target: Zoey. Ravi fired shots from his blaster, forcing Zoey to jump and dodge his attacks.

"Guys! Fight the monster, not each other!"

"Tell him that!" Zoey called back, sounding completely winded.

Devon, tired of the fighting, was ready to put an end to things quickly. He charged towards the blue Ranger, knocked him to the ground and stole his blaster from his hand. He then used the blaster to fire several shots at Cycletron, destroying him for good.

"Virus eliminated," he stated and as he powered down, he turned to look at Ravi. The blue Ranger had also powered down, but he lay on the ground, sweating profusely. Devon knelt next to him and put a hand on his arm. When he did, he felt the blue Ranger was hot, as if he had somehow developed a fever during the battle.

"Guys, Ravi isn't doing so hot... or... cold?" Devon said to others through his communicator. "I think something's wrong."

"Let's get him back," Ben suggested as he helped Devon get Ravi to his feet.

"Who turned the sun up?" Ravi asked.

"We'll get you cooled down, bud," Devon promised. "Zoey! Ravi's not feeling well! We gotta take him back!"

As Devon and Ben put Ravi in the siblings' truck to being them home, Betty looked around for Zoey. She didn't respond to Devon and Betty couldn't see her.

"Zoey?" She called, but still the yellow Ranger didn't answer. Last she saw, Zoey had been doing a good job of dodging Ravi's attacks, but it was possible she had been hit. Running back to check, Betty was surprised to find Zoey on the ground.

"Zoey, we're heading back," Betty told her as she knelt beside her and checked for injuries. Zoey appeared unharmed, but was barely responding at all to Betty. "Come on, Zoey. Rangers are tougher than this."

She tried to help Zoey up, but the yellow Ranger was dead weight. Betty tried to shake her, hoping she would wake up enough to tell her what was wrong. Zoey only moaned in response.  
"Ben!" Betty shouted and her brother came running. Seeing Zoey's state, he didn't hesitate to pick her up.

"She's really out of it," he said. He brought her over to the van and gently placed her across the seat.


	23. Ranger Weaknesses

Commander Shaw didn't like seeing this. It wasn't just because the first fight had ended so terribly. Her son wasn't well. He had fought hard, but unfortunately, it was against the wrong opponent.

Ravi would never turn on his teammates. Even as a boy, he was fiercely loyal. Though the Rangers hadn't had much time to bond yet before their first battle, they were starting to get close. Commander Shaw recognized the early signs of a lifelong friendship. She knew Ravi would never attack Zoey by choice.

Which meant there was a problem.

"Nate…"

"I don't have any answers, yet," Nate told her once again. She had been on him to find the answer to their problem as soon as the Ranger returned. Nate knew she wouldn't let up until he did and so did everything he could. Unfortunately, he could only work as fast as his slowest scan.

"They were bickering the whole time," Devon said. "Trying to see who would be a better leader."

"We can focus on that later," Commander Shaw said dismissively.

"You don't think the fighting got out of hand, do you?" Sarah asked.

"That's not how Ravi would behave," Commander Shaw said. Sarah, Devon and Kelly looked to each other, unsure if the Commander was remaining objective or not.

"Commander, no offense but… we all saw that fight. Ravi turned on Zoey," Sarah said. "After they were fighting."

"Our team had their own share of fights too and…"

"That's not how I raised my son," Commander Shaw insisted.

"I know," Sarah nodded. "But… Zoey…"

"Ravi is just as unwell," Commander Shaw said. "I know how this might appear, but I can assure you, I'm not speaking about him solely as his mother. You can be sure that I'll discipline Ravi and Zoey equally for getting distracted on the battlefield after we make sure this never happens again."

"Commander, if it helps, they weren't the only ones today who had a rough start," Betty added. Devon turned to her and knew what she meant. He nodded his head.

"Now that I think about it, she's right. My suit totally froze up on me for a minute and… I couldn't do anything to get it going again."

"And I'm looking into that too," Nate promised. "But right now, I don't have answers."

"Maybe it's a glitch?" Devon suggested. "The problem wasn't with me, I know that."

"I'll look into it," Nate assured him. "Unfortunately, right now, we have bigger problems to handle. Literally."

Devon, Nate, Sarah, and Kelly looked to the screens as a giant Cycletron seemed to drop from the sky, right into the middle of the city.

"No more waiting around, I guess," Sarah said. She turned to Devon, "Ravi and Zoey are in no condition to fight. Using a Zord drains you almost twice as much as fighting without it. Can you handle this alone?"

"I'll have to," Devon nodded. He couldn't risk letting Cycletron terrorize the city any longer.

"I'll deploy the Racer Zord," Commander Shaw said. "It'll met with you and Cruise."

"On it," Devon nodded. He raced out of the building, hopping onto Cruise who was waiting for him outside. As they rode towards the monster, the Racer Zord emerged from the ground and swallowed them up. Devon was transported to the cockpit while Cruise merged himself with the controls.

"I know what to do, Devon! Trust me," Cruise said. Devon gave him a nod.

At the base, Nate was still working on trying to figure out what had caused Ravi to attack Zoey so violently, while at the same time trying to find out why Zoey was nearly comatose and why Devon had been frozen in battle. It was a lot to juggle at once, but Devon's idea that maybe it was a glitch seemed reasonable. It would explain why they all experienced problems for different reasons.

"Need a hand?" Sarah asked.

"How well do you know coding?"

"Not my strong suit," Sarah said. "But… let's look at what happened to each of them, to cause this."

"Ravi's overheated," Nate said. That was the easiest one to figure out, since Ravi was showing physical symptoms afterwards to explain his problem. They had him covered in ice-packs, trying to cool him down, and so far, as his temperature dropped, he seemed to be feeling better. Smasher, who had been by Ravi's side since they brought him back, no longer had to restrain him with a tight hug to keep him calm.

"And cooling him down, calms him down," Sarah said. "We'll start there. Is there anything in the programming that doesn't seem right related to temperature control?"

Nate checked the programming once again and then noticed a very small, but significant problem. He nodded his head.

"They're corrupted," he said. He looked to Sarah. "Not like Blaze and Roxy but… I didn't have time to eliminate the virus before I turned them all into Rangers. I assumed, since Evox left on his own, that the program was safe to use."

"So there's a virus still in Ravi's suit?"

"In all of them," Nate said. "With Ravi, it seems that when he's overheated, he becomes aggressive. Anyone is the enemy."

"That's why he attacked Zoey," Sarah said. "He really couldn't help it."

"But Zoey didn't overheat and she still had a glitch," Nate frowned. He checked his scans again, then gasped. "What did you pack for lunch this morning?"

"Uh… Kelly packed my lunch. I'm not sure what's in it but since she's still worried about my health, probably no junk."

"So fruits and veggies?"

"Likely."

Nate ran from the lab and when he returned, he carried Sarah's lunch bag in with her.

"Cafeteria food is crap," he said as he stole one of Sarah's carrots. He offered it to Zoey. "Eat this."

Zoey took a bite and Nate left her the rest of the lunchbox to eat while he turned to the others.

"You had to use my carrots?" Sarah frowned.

"They were my best choice," Nate told her. "Zoey's glitch is related to energy. The more she uses up her energy, the faster it'll deplete."

"Did you just mansplain energy to me?" Sarah frowned. Nate shook his head.

"Zoey recovers energy at the same rate as Devon and Ravi, but consumes it twice as quickly. The Ranger suits only enhance the body's natural energy so when Zoey's tired, the suit has nothing left to take from her."

"Ravi gets angry and Zoey gets sleepy?" Sarah asked with a frown. "And our third dwarf is Freezy?"

"More like scared," Nate said. "Though I haven't been able to identify the specific trigger."

At that moment, Commander Shaw called them over to point out how Devon had frozen up again. Since he was in his Zord cockpit there was little immediate danger to his safety, however without him in control, his Zord was vulnerable to attacks and Cycletron was taking full advantage.

Nate decided to use this as a learning opportunity. Since this was the second time Devon had frozen up in battle, he wanted to see if there were any consistencies.

"Devon, what's going on?"

"You tell me," Devon said. "I can't move and I'm getting my ass kicked."

"Do you see anything... scary?"

"Just a billboard for dog food."

"We have a lot of dogs in Coral Harbour," Betty explained to Sarah casually. "You can find a stray almost anywhere."

"That's it!" Nate called out. "Devon! Cats are afraid of dogs! Your cheetah DNA is triggering the fight, flight or freeze response and the virus is causing you to freeze!"

"So how do I unfreeze?"

"I can help," Ravi called out and the team turned to see him and Zoey were back on their feet.

"Are you sure you're up to it?" Commander Shaw asked.

"I'm cooled down," Ravi said.

"And whatever's in those carrots is working," Zoey nodded.

"Complex carbs. You need to eat them regularly," Nate insisted. Zoey nodded her head and followed Ravi out to go help Devon.

However, she did quickly turn back around, grabbed the rest of Sarah's lunchbox, then headed out.

"Cheetahs aren't afraid of dogs," Betty said when the Rangers were gone. All eyes turned to her.

"What?"

"Cheetahs," Betty said. "They aren't afraid of dogs. Though, they are anxious animals. They're built for speed, not strength and so they have to be wary of other animals to survive."

"So they're afraid or..." Commander Shaw frowned as she tried to see Betty's point.

"They're anxious," Betty confirmed, "But did you know that zoos sometimes give cheetahs support dogs during stressful situations? And it's adorable!"

As Betty pulled up images on her phone, Nate turned back to the battle on the screens.

"Yeah, well, I've never been to a zoo," he muttered. "When I was six, I just knew cats were afraid of dogs."


	24. The Team Leader

Cycletron was gone for good and the Rangers had worked out the glitch in their suits. While there was no permanent fix to what Nate had termed "weaknesses", they were able to prevent them.

Devon's weakness was simple. The programming had been altered so that his cheetah DNA didn't just fear dogs, but caused him to freeze up at the sight of them. He would lose complete control of himself and that left him vulnerable in battle.

Ravi's weakness was related to tempurature. If he overheated, it triggered an anger reaction in his suit and caused him to attack anything in sight with rage. Though turning that against the robots might work, Ravi ran the terrifying risk of attacking and hurting one of his teammates, and since his gorilla DNA boosted his strength, it was very likely he could cause sever injuries. Staying cool would prevent that from happening.

Zoey's rabbit DNA gifted her with a boost in energy, which in turn allowed her to jump higher, faster, and be more agile. However, the glitch that caused her weakness meant that, though she had a boost in energy, her body, whether morphed or not, consumed energy twice as quickly as normal, leaving her vulnerable to fatigue. Nate's solution was to keep her fuelled with complexe carbs. As the body's main energy source, they would provide Zoey with quick and lasting energy to keep her going, as long as she ate regularly.

Still, there was one problem left to be solved. The team needed a leader, and if the scolding from Commander Shaw was anything to go by, Zoey and Ravi had not made great choices in battle. Their bickering over leadership and showing off what they thought was their best traits had distracted them from the fight. While the result wasn't negative this time, it opened up the possibility for injury or even death.

That couldn't be tolerated.

Commander Shaw dismissed them and Devon, Ravi and Zoey made their way to the Ranger Hangout, determined to choose a leader before the end of the day.

Ravi knew he let his ego get the best of him in battle. He knew he hadn't made the right choices, but he also knew someone who had.

"Can I make a suggestion?" He asked. He knew the others thought he would give another reason why he should lead, but he had something different in mind. "Devon, you were focused and you fought until the end. You kept me and Zoey on task and... well, you dont even want to be leader."

"I'm cool with whoever."

"That's just it," Ravi said. "Leaders lead. They stay calm, they make the right choices, but they also know when to step back. As much as I want to be the best choice, I don't think I am. You are."

"But I don't want to be," Devon said. Ravi nodded.

"It's a huge responsibility, but the fact that you aren't fighting with us over who gets to lead makes me think you're the best choice. You won't be afraid to hand over the position when someone else knows better. Leaders know when to step back, help others up, or take charge and that's what you did today. You took charge."

"You really think I can do it?" Devon asked and Ravi nodded his head.

"Dude, I wouldn't have said it if I didn't think it."

"Zoey?"

"Yeah?" Zoey asked and looked as if she hadn't been listening.

"Devon for leader?" Ravi asked her Zoey nodded.

"Right. Yeah, I agree. It's a good idea."

"You guys will back me up?" Devon asked and both nodded their heads. "Then I guess I accept."

"I'll tell the Commander," Ravi said. He got up from the couch to go find his mother. Devon, wager to get home, started to follow him out but stopped when he noticed Zoey hadn't moved.

"Zoey, you okay?"

"Yeah," Zoey nodded. "I'll just be a minute. I'm still a bit, wiped."

"Do you want me to wait?"

"No. I'll see you... later, I guess."

"Tomorrow," Devon nodded before leaving. Almost as soon as he did, Zoey rose to her feet, clutched her chest and started to struggle with her breath. She paced the room, feeling her temperature rise while her body started to tremble.

She was gonna be sick, she was sure of it. Her stomach turned and she gagged. She continued to pace, hoping she could walk off her discomfort; hoping it would pass quickly. She tried to focus on her breathing, but her mind kept going back to what happened earlier. She didn't like being in trouble. She didn't like that she had made the choice to try and fight for leadership. She couldn't lead, and now that she had almost cost herself and her teammates the fight, she was sure that was Commander Shaw's thinking too.

She had been cut from the team for a reason, and today she had just proven why.

She wasn't cut out for this. Commander Shaw knew it, what if everyone else did too?


	25. A Familiar Knock

"You think they have what it takes?" Shane asked over the video call. Sarah shrugged her shoulders.

"Is there really a way to know? Half the time, Oedius had us beat and we still found a way to stop her."

Shane nodded his head, "I guess that's true. But, just in case, you know you have an army at your beck and call, right? You may be on the other side of the country now, but I'll be there for you in a heartbeat, and so will the other Rangers."

"I know," Sarah smiled, though his comment did hit hard, she didn't want to show it. While she was thrilled at the job she received in Coral Harbour and was happy to be living with her fiancée, she still did miss home. She missed hanging out with her friends everyday and she missed her family. "How's the move going?"

"It's coming along," Shane told her. Now that Sarah had moved out, he had decided to sell the apartment he bought in Summer Cove so he could move back to Blue Bay Harbour and be closer to work and his friends. He had only moved out to be closer to Sarah and now that she was gone, there was nothing keeping him there. "I owe the guys a couple of pizzas, though. Price I pay for not getting a moving truck."

"Sounds like you saved a few bucks, then," Sarah chuckled.

"You haven't seen the guys eat," Shane shook his head. "Anyways, I have class in the morning. Stay safe, kid. I love you."

"I love you too," Sarah said and blew her uncle a kiss before closing her laptop. She turned to Kelly, who had just finished with her own work. "Do these calls get any easier?"

"When they do, I'll let you know," Kelly chuckled. "Once we're settled in, we can start to have some of the guys over. I know Aaron can't wait to see what kind of house Grid Battleforce would buy their employees."

"I guess we should probably consider getting a guest bedroom set up," Sarah agreed.

"Or we hold off on that for a bit," Kelly smirked. "We have a house to ourselves; you know. And if evil comes knocking, we have a team of Rangers who aren't us who can take care of it. Neither of us has anymore work to do tonight…" she trailed off with a smirk. Sarah looked to her.

"What are you proposing?"

"You know what I want," Kelly said. Sarah made her way over, leaned down for a kiss but was interrupted when there was a knock at the door. "Ignore it," Kelly told her, but then there was another knock, this one more persistent.

"I'll get rid of them," Sarah assured her. Kelly sighed.

"Fine. I'll just roll myself into the bedroom then," she teased, feigning sadness. Sarah chuckled as she made her way to the door. She didn't think to check who would be on the other side, assuming it was just someone going door to door, so she was surprised when she opened the door to find Kathryn standing on the other side.

"Mom?"

"Dead mom or jailed mom?" Kelly said as she raced back into the room after she heard Sarah. She really believed it could go either way.

Jenny was dead, that much was certain, but Kelly had already seen people come back from the dead enough to know that there was a chance it was Jenny on the other side of the door. However, logically more likely, it was Kathryn on the other side.

Kathryn had escaped prison once, just before the Rangers defeated Oedius for good. At the time, she wanted to talk to Sarah, claiming she wanted to make amends for what she had done. Gia refused to let Kathryn get close, and only brought her around to Ninja Ops because stopping Oedius from destroying the city was more pressing than getting her back to prison.

After Kelly jumped on top of Sarah to save her from the ship exploding in their final battle, she had spent a lot of time in the hospital. The only update she got about Kathryn was that she had returned voluntarily to prison without talking to Sarah. Since she wasn't dead, it was more likely she was standing at their door then Jenny, but Kelly had been sure they were rid of her for good.

Unfortunately, that didn't seem to be the case. Sarah stood at the door, frozen as she stared at the woman who had done nothing but harm to her. Kathryn seemed to understand that. She didn't press Sarah to be invited in and instead turned to Kelly.

"One night, please," she begged. "I'll explain why I'm here; I'll explain what I want."

"We owe you nothing," Kelly growled. "You owe us the decency of never having to see you again."

"I'm sober," Kathryn stated.

"We're not interested in your twelve steps."

"This is more than that," Kathryn said. "Please, I just want one night to explain myself."

Kelly shook her head and was about to slam the door when Sarah stopped her. She looked to her fiancée, "I want to hear it."

"Sarah…"

"I want to hear what kind of explanation justifies what she did."

"None."

"I'm not asking for money, or a place to stay beyond tonight. I'll say what I want to say tonight, and I'll be out of here before you go to work tomorrow, if that's what you want."

Kelly wanted to say no. This woman wasn't just vile, she was evil. Kelly didn't care about the choices she had made for herself. It was her body and so her choice, especially since it seemed like she enjoyed letting Drex control her. She had started a family with him, and seemed to choose him over anything else, even if it would provide her with a better life. What made her evil was the choices she forced onto other women, especially the ones who couldn't speak or stand up for themselves. She tried to raise two children in a brothel, surrounded by dangerous men and dangerous substances. She let Drex abuse them in the name of discipline. When Sarah was old enough, Kathryn devised the plan to kidnap her, determined to pimp out her own daughter so she could keep the money coming in.

Kathryn was a bad person. Unfortunately, she was also Sarah's biological mother, and while that meant very little to Kelly, Sarah seemed to want to get some answers.

"You get one night," Kelly told her. "And if I see you at all in the morning, I'm calling the police."

"I won't be any trouble," Kathryn promised.


	26. Answers

Kathryn lived up to her word. She had said what she needed to say the night before and unfortunately, it wasn't anything ground breaking.

She talked about her time with Drex. She told the young women how Drex was the first and only man to truly love her and that the job she worked was the only way she could earn money to support herself. Her own mother had never been supportive and Kathryn felt alone for most of her life.

She talked about the lessons she learned in prison. How at the time, she thought she was doing fine by her kids. Sure, it was rough, but it was her life and she had survived.

Prison gave her a lot of time to think and the chance to get sober. Though there were drugs in prison, Kathryn decided that this time would be the one. She joined a support group, which gave her a chance to reflect on her decisions.

She was wrong and she knew that. She raised her son, Thomas, in a home that wasn't healthy. She took full responsibility for the way things turned out with him, stating she was certain that if he had been placed in a loving home from the start, even if it was without her, that he would have been a fine young man. She took full responsibility for Sarah and admitted she should have given her up to her father the second she was born. Bill would have raised Sarah with the love, comfort and safety that Sarah had been deprived of for the first four years of her life.

She apologized not to seek forgiveness, but to let Sarah know that she had changed. She offered the former Ranger a chance at building a relationship, but Sarah turned her down. Right now, it was too raw.

They went to bed. Kathryn slept on the couch, claiming it was far more comfortable than anything she was used to. Not that Kelly worried at all about her comfort, though.

In the morning, Kathryn was gone. There wasn't a sign of her to be seen anywhere in the house. While there wasn't much to steal, Kelly did look around to be sure Kathryn left empty handed, and it seemed she had.

The drive to work was quiet. Sarah didn't want to talk about what happened and Kelly understood she would need some time to process all she had learned. When they arrived at Grid Battleforce, Kelly went to her office, leaving Sarah to make her way to the lab alone.

Sarah arrived in the lab to find Ben and Betty were already working on their newest project. The Zap-O-Matic that they had built had served the Rangers well in battle the day before, encouraging Ben and Betty to continue with their work. They were determined to do everything they could to be of help to the Rangers.

Unfortunately, by helping, they had turned the lab into something of a dumping ground. Parts were scattered all over the work surfaces and the floor, creating a real tripping hazard. It was only lucky they were in before Nate or Commander Shaw.

"Are you two trying to get into trouble?" Sarah asked. She stepped over some of the scrap metal on the floor and looked to the siblings. "This is a write-up if I've ever seen one."

"We always clean up," Ben assured her.

"You're always here this early?" Sarah asked. There was virtually no one else in the building. The only reason she and Kelly were in early was because neither could get any real sleep.

"Bright and early," Betty nodded.

"Why?"

"Dad's a general in the army," Ben said. "He always had us up early. We kinda got used to it."

"Interesting," Sarah said, "So you just come in early and build stuff?"

"It's the only place we can work. Our parents hate it when the house is a mess like this," Ben said as he looked to his sister. "Betty gets into a lot of trouble. She can be a bit of a handful."

He looked to his sister, then back to Sarah, "You're in pretty early, though. Any reason?"

"Nothing I really feel like talking about."

"We're good listeners," Betty said. She set down her tools and looked over at the former pink Ranger. Sarah sighed.

"It's complicated."

"So is designing weapons, and we do that every morning before breakfast," Betty smirked.

"It's my… I don't even know what to call her."

"Sister? Friend? Parents?"

"She gave birth to me," Sarah said, "But… she's not my mom."

"You were adopted too?" Betty asked almost excitedly. Sarah frowned and shook her head.

"No… no, not… well, a little."

"How can you be a little adopted?"

"My dad got full custody of me when I was four and a little while later, got married. Jenny adopted me in case anything happened to dad, we could stay together."

"So your birth mother found you?" Ben asked. "You weren't ready for that?"

"Kinda. We've met before but… she kidnapped me at the time and tried to get me to be one of her prostitutes. Last night, she turned up. Apparently, overcrowding at the prison allowed her early release because she was showing good behaviour and wasn't likely to re-offend. She wanted a chance to explain herself."

"Did she get it?"

"I listened," Sarah told Ben and Betty. "I just… I don't know what to make of it. My parents died last year in a monster attack and… now she wants a relationship and… I don't know what to do."

"You're looking for a family again?"

"Have you?" Sarah asked and remembered Betty had mentioned that she and Ben were adopted. While the circumstances were entirely different, maybe the feelings would be the same. Ben and Betty looked to each other before Ben shook his head.

"We have a family," he said. "I guess we never really wondered about the people who gave us up."

"If they showed up again, you wouldn't… want something?"

"What do we need that they can offer?" Ben asked. "We have parents, we have friends, and we have each other."

Sarah nodded her head. Ben was right. Her life was full, even though some of the pieces were gone now. Though she missed her parents deeply, Shane did a good job of standing in their place. He was always just a phone call or a video call away and Sarah felt like she was his priority over everything. She had amazing friends, who wanted the best for her and supported her through everything. She had the best fiancée, who loved and cared for her deeply.

She didn't need Kathryn.

"You're right," Sarah smiled. Ben returned the gesture, then started to clean up the lab, knowing it wouldn't be long before Nate or the Commander arrived for the day. As he walked away, Betty came over. She leaned in to whisper to Sarah.

"Sometimes I wonder if my biological parents might support me more," she told the former pink Ranger. "I know my parents love me and I'd hate to give them up for anyone else but… sometimes I think they see me as more of a burden than a blessing."

"I'm sure they…"

"They do," Betty stated, before Sarah could try and sugar coat anything. "Just… if you want to have a relationship with her, make sure it's what you want, and it's not out of guilt or anything."

"You're not exactly making this easier for me," Sarah said.

"Then let me ask you this," Betty told her. "If you hadn't lost your mother, the real one, would you even be considering a relationship with this woman who hurt you?"

Sarah shook her head. Jenny had been the perfect mother, right from the word go. While Sarah could remember the learning curve, since Jenny arrived later in her life, the fact that she always tried her best and always acted in Sarah's best interest had earned her the title of mom. While Kathryn claimed she was ready to start being a part of Sarah's life in a positive way now, she was eighteen years too late, and several very serious, very damaging mistakes late.

She had made her choices, she had to live with them. She wasn't deserving of a second chance simply because Sarah was a good person. If Kathryn wanted a new life, it would have to be without Sarah and with a lot of hard work.

"Thanks, Betty."

"Helping is what I do," Betty smiled, but it quickly faded from her lips when the door to the lab opened. Ben and Betty started to panic as they tried to clean up quickly, fearing it might be Nate or the Commander and they were sure to be yelled at for the mess. Fortunately, the person entering was Zoey, and she didn't look like she cared at all about the mess in the lab.

"Please tell me not everyone's going to come in early today?" Ben asked rhetorically as he continued to clean up.

Zoey looked surprised to see there were people in the lab. She had arrived early to train and was coming grab her training clothes from the hangers. She thought she would be the first one to arrive, so didn't expect to see Ben, Betty and Sarah were already there.

"Oh… uh… I was just coming in to train."

"Training isn't until nine," Sarah told her.

"Extra training," Zoey said. "After yesterday, I want to make sure I'm ready for anything."

"You did fine yesterday, but a little extra training won't hurt," Sarah said. "I have some things to work out, why don't we do it together?"

"Like one-on-one?"

"Yeah," Sarah smiled. "I've got spare clothes in the car. I'll grab them and meet you in the training simulator."

"Sounds good," Zoey nodded just before she finally noticed the state of the room. She saw Ben and Betty were frantically trying to clean, worried everyone would be showing up early. In his rush, Ben didn't see the pen that had been left on the floor. He stepped on it, lost his footing and started to fall backwards. Betty, seeing her brother needed help, rushed in to try and catch him. However, she was easily half his weight and couldn't hold him up. Instead of stopping his fall, she only ended up breaking it.

Are you two okay?" Zoey asked, holding back a chuckle while they groaned. Ben and Betty both gave her a thumbs up.


	27. Anxieties

Training with Sarah was the one-on-one Zoey felt she needed. Though she had gotten far in her attempt to be a Ranger, she had been cut for a reason. It left her with the nagging thought in the back of her mind that she wasn't suited for the role of the yellow Ranger.

Her scolding from Commander Shaw didn't help. She had tried to step up and take on the leadership responsibility after a little encouragement from Sarah. The former Ranger had made it clear that Zoey had been her first choice for the position and Zoey didn't want to disappoint. Sarah was the only one who believed in her and Zoey didn't want to risk losing that.

Unfortunately, her rivalry with Ravi got a little out of hand. Mid-battle, they were more focused on who would be the better leader and it nearly cost them. Devon earned the title, simply by keeping focused and knowing what his team needed to pull ahead.

Zoey knew Commander Shaw only wanted what was best for the team, which was why she wouldn't tolerate the arguing between teammates. There was no malice in the scolding, and it was deserved, but it left Zoey thinking that Commander Shaw had lost faith in her.

It was the reason she had turned up early for training. Worried that Commander Shaw would think she wasn't ready for the role of yellow Ranger, Zoey wanted to get a little extra training in to build up her skill and catch up to Devon the leader and brown belt, and Ravi, who had actually earned the title of blue Ranger. If she could train a little more, she might be a little bit faster, a little bit stronger, and that might help to improve her confidence overall.

As training finished up, the girls went to grab some water. Zoey started to drink. Sarah took a quick sip, then smiled at Zoey.

"You're really good," she said. "You kept me on my toes for sure."

Zoey gave a shrug. She was sure Sarah was just being polite. Surely, she wouldn't tell Zoey she was doing poorly.

"Thanks," Zoey answered. Sarah nodded then asked for the time. When Zoey told her, she started to pack up.

"I've gotta get back to work. Now that the Zords are up and running, I've got to figure out how to combine them all into a functioning Megazord."

"A Megazord?"

"Your three Zords into one. Triple the power, triple the size, triple the headache. On my team, the Prism took care of those details. Here it's all got to be done manually."

"And you can figure out something like that?"

"I hope so," Sarah nodded. "If I can create a time machine, I'm sure I can solve this puzzle."

"That's amazing," Zoey stated, then looked to her water bottle. "I don't think I could ever do something like that."

"It's not easy, but if you like puzzles and fixing things, it can be pretty fun. Or frustrating, depending on where you are in the process."

"I do like solving problems," Zoey said. "The city is petition right now to cut down the forest in order to build a road to ease the congestion problems in the city. Won't solve the problem in the long run and it'll just add more traffic and more pollution."

"Got a solution?"

"I do… but it does require Morph-X and I don't think…"

"I'll talk to Nate about getting you some for a prototype," Sarah said with a smile. "And if you need any help with the design or build, let me know. I'll probably need a few breaks from Megazord construction."

"You think I can do this?"

"Worth a shot, right? It'll either be your first success or your first failure. Either way, you get it out of the way, right?"

"Yeah," Zoey nodded. She did have an idea that she had been considering since she heard about the plans to cut down the forest for a new road and it wouldn't be too hard to design. Maybe with Sarah's help, she could make it a reality.

The problem would be talking to the mayor about it. She wasn't sure she was up for that. But she shook her head. She couldn't let problems get in her way.

"I'm not afraid of big problems, I solve big problems," she told herself. She would start with designing her idea and then take it from there.

She headed up to the Ranger hangout and grabbed her notebook from her bag. She had plenty of ideas on how to make the world a better place, so she always carried it around, in case inspiration struck.

Congestion in the city was a nightmare. There was traffic around the clock, since everyone insisted on driving their cars everywhere. Since most people needed a quick way to work, and transit was already so crowded, asking people to walk wouldn't work.

However, cycling was a good choice. A lot of people around the world chose to bike to work. It took a little longer, but it was still faster than walking and it was more environmentally friendly. It was also easier on the wallet, since people didn't need to fill up their cars with gas every week.

With the Morph-X as a clean energy source, Zoey knew she could make a motorized bike that created no emissions and would suit even the least fit people, since they had the option to let the motor do most of the work.

Zoey started on the design and got it done rather quickly. She knew what the bike would look like and she figured out a way to set up the motor so it would power the bike, without getting in the way of people who wanted to pedal instead. With her sketch drawn up, now all she needed to do was get some of the stuff she needed to build it. For that, she would have to talk to Nate or Sarah.

As she closed her notebook, she felt a tightness in her chest. First it was bearable, but the tightness continued to increase. Thinking about asking Sarah or Nate for their help and showing them her design didn't seem to help. What if they didn't think it was a good idea? What if they didn't like the concept? What if they had no spare parts to share?

She took shallow breaths as her hands began to shake. Her stomach turned as well, and she was sure she was going to be sick. She hadn't eaten breakfast yet, though, so there was no reason to rush to washroom.

She didn't notice when the doors opened and her Beast Bot, Jax, walked in.

"Yo, Zo! I'm glad I found ya!" Jax started but he stopped when he saw Zoey didn't look well. She was clutching her chest, trying to catch her breath. She looked like she had just run a marathon from the way she was sweating and how red her face had turned, but since it was so early in the morning, he doubted that was the case. Sarah had mentioned they were training together, which was how Jax knew Zoey was already in the building, but since Sarah had already cooled down from training, Jax would have assumed Zoey would be fine by now as well.

A quick scan showed she wasn't, "Zoey, what's wrong?" he asked, but she didn't answer. She was pacing the room; unaware he was there. "Zoey?" he called again. She finally noticed him, but that didn't seem to calm her down. If anything, she appeared to get worse. Jax wanted to help. He had been built and designed to help Zoey and he wouldn't fail at his job on his first full day.

Unfortunately, he wasn't programmed for this. She wasn't physically hurt and there was no threat around. There was no reason for her to be in such a panic.

"I'll be back," he promised her and rolled out of the hangout as quickly as he could. He went back to the lab, where Sarah was working on her project.

"Sarah, there's a bit of a problem with Zoey."

"If it's about her project, I can help her on my lunch break," Sarah answered.

"I don't think that's it," Jax answered. "She's behaving as if she's hurt, or in danger, but neither is the case."

"She's… did you ask her what's wrong?"

"Can't," Jax said. "Come with me."

Sarah set down her pencil and followed Jax to the hangout. At this point, Zoey had managed to calm herself down a bit from when Jax has last seen her, but it was still clear she wasn't well. Zoey had fought hard in training and pushed herself quite a bit, and so Sarah wanted to be sure she hadn't overdone it. She walked in, following closely by Jax. Zoey looked up and saw them, her face flushed red. She knew Jax had seen her lose control and was utterly embarrassed.

"I'm fine," she told them. Neither believed her. Jax rolled over next to her while Sarah sat on the opposite couch.

"Are you sure?" she asked. She hadn't seen the problem Jaz was referring to, but she knew Jax wouldn't lie about that and she could tell that _something_ had been wrong. More than that, she recognized some of the cool-down signs. Zoey still looked unwell and seemed tired. There were obvious signs of her having cried, implying something had bothered her recently. She also remembered how Jax described what happened. His scans indicated that Zoey's body was responding as though there was a threat, or as though she had been injured when neither was the case.

"I'm positive," Zoey said. Sarah wasn't ready to leave it there.

"We lost our powers as Rangers, once," Sarah said. "Well, on more than one occasion but this time was right after beating Galvanax. Gia had done a headcount of all the monsters we destroyed to make sure they were all gone and she couldn't find a body for Oedius. We knew that meant one of two things: her body was either incinerated in the explosion, or she managed to survive."

"Judging by what happened, I guess she survived."

"We wanted to be ready for when she made her return," Sarah said. "But our Power Stars were all gone. Since I made Kelly's, the team asked me if I could make six more. Only Kelly's Star had been half made. I just had to convert the energy that Oedius had already given it. Creating six from scratch wasn't easy, and with no idea when they would be needed, the pressure was on. I didn't even realize it until things were bad, but between creating the Power Stars, not knowing when or if Oedius would return, and my brother kidnapping me, I was suffering from a pretty bad case of anxiety."

"Sounds about right," Zoey nodded. It was classic anxiety. The stress was high, the stakes were higher, and so the anxiety that accompanied it made sense.

"Came with the whole kit and kaboodle too," Sarah said. "Dizziness, hot flashes, a lack of control over my emotions. Feeling like the world was going to end, but thinking it was all in my head. I just had to tough up, or get over it, or deal with it."

"Did you?"

"I had a panic attack in front of my friends. Mom recognized what was happening, since she had just recently had one of her own, and completely shut down the Power Star project. She removed me from being a Ranger too, except for anything that was absolutely necessary."

"So you gave up?"

"I couldn't do it," Sarah said. "There's a difference. To create six Stars, I probably would have had to severely compromise my mental and physical health. What good would I be to the team, or the planet, if I did that?"

"None, I guess."

"I had more anxiety after my parents died. Specifically, after mom. Spent a lot of time with my TA and Mr. Toilet."

"That's an unfortunate name."

"Not if you actually are a toilet," Sarah chuckled. "I was so sick; I couldn't leave the bathroom for a while. Took me a while just to get the courage to go back to school, and longer still before I started to do well again. And the whole thing felt so stupid, even while I was having my anxiety. Serena had to convince me that it was safe to go on my own front porch."

"But you're fine now?"

"I still get anxious. Sometimes I miss my parents so much it makes me feel sick. Hearing the alarms go off when there's an attack triggers some anxiety for me, but I've learned some coping skills along the way. I've learned to notice when something is too much, or too hard, and not to be so hard on myself. I've learned that I can handle pretty much anything life throws my way, but that it's okay sometimes to completely fall apart. It's how you can rebuild yourself to be a little bit stronger."

Sarah paused for a bit and let her words, her stories, sink in with Zoey a bit before she leaned forward. "Do you ever feel like that?"

Zoey shrugged her shoulders. The most trauma she had ever seen in life was as a Power Ranger.

"Even just a little bit," Sarah added.

"I guess a little," Zoey nodded.

"Like?"

Zoey shrugged. She turned to Jax. She had just met her robot companion the day before, but he had been designed to help her.

"No one's judging ya," Jax assured her.

"I promise, it won't leave this room," Sarah said. Zoey tried to think of a time she felt anxious about something, but everything seemed embarrassing, especially to tell someone who was still mostly a stranger. "A bad grade?" Sarah asked. "Lost your car keys? I was recovering from a brain injury at the time, but once, my mom put my pile of laundry on my desk, instead of on my bed, and I lost my shit on her. Things were broken, words were said. When I calmed down and realized what happened, I was humiliated."

"The interview," Zoey stated, choosing something that would make most people nervous. She decided if she picked something that made everyone feel a little uncomfortable, it would be less embarrassing to talk about. "I wrote my resume out, easily, and handed it to the person at the front desk without much issue, but… When Commander Shaw called and said she wanted me to come in for an interview, I couldn't handle it."

"It's stressful," Sarah agreed. Zoey nodded.

"The days leading up to the interview, I kept going over the questions she might ask in my head, and rehearsing my answers to them. I'd write them down, so I knew exactly what I was going to say. I researched common interview questions and even looked into some that weren't so common, so I could be prepared for anything."

"Nothing wrong with being prepared," Sarah said.

"Yeah, that's what I thought. But the more I practiced, the less prepared I felt. Like, what if I forgot my answers, or choked up when I tried to talk? What if she didn't ask any of the questions that I had prepared? What if I wasn't what she was looking for at all? Or if she called me by mistake thinking I was someone else? What if I did well in the interview but wasn't ready for the job and just utterly disappointed everyone or…"

"Whoa, whoa, slow down," Jax said as Zoey started to work herself up.

"Have you ever talked to someone about this?" Sarah asked. Zoey shook her head.

"Everyone gets nervous for an interview," Zoey said.

"Not like that," Sarah shook her head. "I know I didn't interview for this job, but I was a bit worried about the first day but… not like that."

"Great, so I'm a nut," Zoey rolled her eyes. "Mom always said I was an overthinker and I guess she's right."

"You're not a nut," Sarah told her.

"So, then what am I?"

"I'm not a doctor," Sarah said. "And, well, neither is my friend, but she helped me with my anxiety. Maybe she can help you with yours."

"You really think I have an anxiety problem?" Zoey frowned.

"I don't think you don't," Sarah said, then asked Zoey for the time. By now, it was almost eight, which meant the others would be arriving and starting training very soon. Since Sarah and Zoey had already trained, and this seemed a bit more important, Sarah wanted to see if they could skip the session for today. "You go ask Commander Shaw for a couple hours off, I'll see if Serena's awake yet."

"I… uh… what?" Zoey asked. Sarah looked to her and she could see the anxiety building up again.

"Just talk to Commander Shaw and see if it's okay to skip training today."

"What if she says no?" Zoey asked.

"Tell her we trained together already," Sarah shrugged.

"What if she still says no?"

"Tell her we'll make up for it."

"What if she…"

"How about I ask her?" Sarah suggested. "You just… keep calm and wait for me to come back, okay. I'll handle this."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive," Sarah smiled.


	28. What's Normal, What's Not

Sarah explained to Commander Shaw the minimum details of why she and Zoey were going to skip out on training that morning. Though Commander Shaw was curious, her respect for Zoey's privacy too precedence. She trusted that Sarah and Zoey would have a good reason for missing team training and let them have the morning for themselves. When Sarah returned to the hangout, she set up her computer and opened the video chat. The time difference meant she was likely waking up Serena, but Sarah knew this was important.

Fortunately, when Serena answered, it seemed she was already up and getting ready for work. After explaining why, she had called, Serena was more than happy to help, as she sat and talked with Zoey about what had happened.

Zoey tried to be as honest as she could, but it was intimidating. She had never shared these feelings before and since she never thought much of them, she didn't think there was anything to them.

Serena thought differently.

"I'm not a doctor," she reminded Zoey. "I don't have a degree and I'm not finished my studies, so this isn't a professional or medical opinion. Do you understand?"

"Yeah," Zoey nodded. She knew that though Serena didn't have the credentials, she had been able to help Sarah with her anxieties and seemed to have a knack for helping people improve.

"Okay. That being said… you check a lot of the boxes for anxiety. The fear, the sense of doom or dread, feeling sick, shaking, faint, heart racing, sweating… that's definitely anxiety."

"So that's not normal?"

"In some situations, it is," Serena said. "You've had a Ranger battle at this point, so you've probably had those same symptoms while fighting, or even beforehand. That's normal. In fact, if you didn't have some anxiety when fighting a monster, I'd be worried. The problem is attached to threats that aren't really threats. In your case, social situations."

"So… like parties and stuff?" Sarah asked.

"Let me narrow this down with a few compare and contrast questions," Serena said. She looked to Zoey. "There's a review of your performance coming up. You've never been written up, never had to be talked to at work. Pretty much: you did your job. How does the performance review make you feel?"

Zoey felt sick just thinking about it, "Scared. What if they fire me? Or tell me I'm not good enough."

"Sarah?" Serena turned to the pink Ranger.

"Fine," Sarah answered. "I did my job well so there's nothing to worry about, I guess."

"Next question. You're doing a presentation in front of a small group of people. You've practiced in your head and you have the cue cards, just in case. How do you feel?"

"Scared," Zoey answered again. "I could mess up, and everyone might laugh at me."

"It'll probably be fine," Sarah answered. "If I mess up, no big deal."

"Let's keep it going," Serena said. "You get invited to a party by a friend. The host is the only person you'll know. What do you do?"

"Is there ice-cream at this party?" Sarah asked, way too seriously, Zoey felt. Serena chuckled.

"It's a party. Of course, there's ice-cream."

"I'll go," Sarah said. She turned to Zoey, "You like ice-cream?"

"I do," Zoey answered, "But… I wouldn't go."

"Why not?" Serena asked. Zoey shrugged.

"I only know one person there. What if no one wants to talk to me and I just stand there, bored?"

"Social anxiety," Serena concluded with a smile, though Zoey wasn't too happy to hear it. "It's the fear of being judged, humiliated or scrutinized by others."

"But that's not normal?" Zoey asked. "Isn't it normal to be nervous before a performance review, or when doing a presentation, or when you're meeting new people?"

"Nervous is normal," Serena nodded. "But you're not nervous about these situations, you're afraid. It's causing your brain to perceive social situations as something threatening and respond like you're in danger. Against a monster, that's a good thing, because the danger is real. When you don't know anyone at a party, you're not in danger."

"So, what can we do about it?" Sarah asked.

"Well, since this isn't a real diagnosis, you could see a real therapist," Serena suggested. "But if you think you want to tackle it yourself first, you could try keeping a journal."

"Like a diary?" Zoey asked.

"Yeah but… don't focus so much on what happens in a day. Focus mostly on the feelings, and what you were doing when those feelings came up," Serena said. "If you do that for long enough, you might start to notice the triggers. Some people with social anxiety fear situations with large groups of people more than small ones. Some people are more anxious around people they don't know vs. people they do know, or vice-versa. Once you can narrow down your triggers, you can start to work on facing your fears and not relying on safety behaviours to cope with anxiety. The truth is, the more you avoid the things that scare you, the more scared you'll be when they happen next time."

"So, we'll start with a journal, then," Sarah said with a smile as she turned to Zoey. "Keep track of every time you start to feel anxious and we'll see what triggers you."

"I… I don't know if I can do that," Zoey shook her head.

"Give it a try," Serena suggested, then checked the time. "I've got to go. Start the journal. Keep it private from everyone, so you write about your feelings honestly. This is a personal journey so whether you choose to share it with others is up to you. My recommendation though is to find someone you trust and have them help you."

"No judgements," Sarah assured Zoey and held up a hand. "Besides, I can't read so you know I won't be snooping. And I know what it's like to have anxiety."

"Most Rangers do," Serena promised Zoey. "PTSD is a real thing that hits all of us at some point, and then there's generalized anxiety for the especially nervous Rangers. OCD in some... basically, if you're a Ranger, you're gonna have a problem with anxiety at some point. You're just coming into the job with it."

Zoey took a deep breathe, then nodded her head. "I'm not afraid of big problems, I solve big problems. And apparently, this is a big problem."

"So, you're in?" Sarah smiled. Zoey nodded.

"I'll do my best."


	29. Morph-X Bikes

Zoey had decided it was time to face her fears – or at least, tackle her anxieties a little. After talking with Sarah's friend Serena and learning about the limits and challenges of social anxiety, Zoey knew what her first project would be.

"Morph-X bikes," she showed Sarah the design that she had worked so hard on. The design that, once finished, caused her anxiety to flare because she knew she was going to have to ask someone for help. She was nervous now, and she could feel her face and cheeks burning red. Her stomach was a little queasy but knowing now it was just her anxiety acting up, she was able to fight it a little better. "You… uh, well it's like a normal bike, but if you don't feel like pedalling, there's an engine that can do the work for you. A little faster than walking, but doesn't have any emissions, unlike a car."

"It's a great idea," Sarah smiled. "What made you think of it?"

"The mayor's considering cutting down the forest and building a road to ease traffic in the city," Zoey said. "I know congestion is a real problem but… the forest… we've always been a green city, so cutting it down doesn't feel right."

"The Morph-X bikes are an emission free alternative to driving," Sarah nodded.

"People can still get to where they need to go." Zoey nodded. "And if more people are using bikes, less people will be using cars. Traffic will clear up, and we'll save the forest."

"So what do you need?"

"Parts… I guess," Zoey nodded. "I've never really built anything before so…"

"I can help you there," Sarah said. "I'll help you get the parts and ask for the stuff you need, but I want you to present this to the mayor when you're done."

"My first challenge is talking to the mayor?" Zoey looked a little shocked by this. She was hoping for something a little easier, like asking Nate for help. The mayor was an important man.

"It'll be fine," Sarah assured her. "You have a great idea with real potential."

Zoey wasn't sure. Sarah liked the idea but could the mayor? Would he want to listen? How would she even go about getting his attention, never mind getting him to listen to her pitch?

And her pitch! What would she even say to him? How could she sell the Morph-X bikes? What if he liked the idea but she didn't present it well? Or he laughed at her idea? Or at her!

"Zoey!" Sarah called, snapping Zoey out of her thoughts. "You got this. I'll be there if you need me for the whole thing, alright? Just tell me what I need to get?"

"Here's a list," Zoey said and handed Sarah the piece of paper from her notes with all the supplies she might need to get started.

"I'll ask Nate what he has lying around. You work on the pitch, alright?" Sarah said before heading off. As she left the hangout, Ben and Betty walked in.

"A pitch?" Betty asked curiously. Zoey nodded her head.

"Yeah… it's just an idea I had."

"What's the idea?"

Zoey wanted to brush them off. She wanted to pretend like the idea wasn't something big. She didn't want the attention from Ben and Betty and didn't want to risk that they didn't like her ideas.

Then she thought back to her conversation with Serena. She had to face her fears. Ben and Betty were good people and it was possible that it was just Zoey's anxiety keeping her from sharing her idea. And if she was going to have to present her Morph-X bikes to the mayor, practicing her pitch on Ben and Betty might help her work up the courage.

So, while her face turned red and her armpits started to sweat, Zoey showed Ben and Betty her blueprints.

"They're called Morph-X Bikes," she said. "I'm going to suggest the Mayor invest in them to help with the congestion problems the city is having."

"That looks amazing!" Ben and Betty looked to the blueprints enthusiastically, then too each other. "It's a great idea!"

"You think?" Zoey asked, glad this seemed to be going well. Maybe she would be able to pitch her bikes to the mayor after all.

"And I know just how to make improvements," Betty smiled. She turned to Ben, "Come on, little bro. We have to get to work on our own Morph-X bikes."

"You're stealing my idea?" Zoey asked. Betty turned around and shook her head.

"Pitch your idea to the mayor and if he likes it, we'll share our idea with him too."

"We won't steal credit," Ben promised as he was dragged out of the room. Zoey watched them go, a little uncertain about how to feel. Ben and Betty had been inspired by her idea and wanted to improve it? Did that mean they thought it wasn't good enough, or that it was so good, the challenge was making something better?

"Nate had everything we needed," Sarah said as she returned with a toolbox and a cart. It had some scrap pieces from the lab on it, as well as the frame of an old bike. It would have to be cleaned up and painted, but it was the best Sarah could find. "And he promised once we had a prototype, he could fast-track making about a dozen of these for a trial for the mayor if he wants to accept our pitch."

"So now what?" Zoey asked. Sarah grinned like a little girl at Christmas.

"We build!"


	30. The Media Sucks

Work was a long day, but Kelly was starting to get the hang of it. It meant constantly keeping up with what was going on in the city, and staying in the loop about everything Power Rangers, but she had always known that would be part of what made a good journalist.

Her job did involve covering up the truth a little bit, which she didn't like. However, she knew the team of Rangers she was working with. They were kids, just like when she had become the green Ranger, and she could tell that they wanted to do good. Covering up the truth, while it wasn't ideal, was for the greater good. No one in the city needed to know everything that happened, they just needed to be safe. Kelly had seen first hand what chaos could come from people turning against the Rangers and knew better than to let that happen. She tried to be as transparent as possible, and though she was supposed to keep the public informed, she did work for the Rangers, not for the city.

It meant for a lot of creative word play, a lot of juggling, and a lot of notes. The more consistent she could be in her reporting, the less suspicious anyone would get. At the end of a long day, she was ready to just relax.

As she changed into her pyjamas, she noticed Sarah didn't come with her. Both liked to be comfortable after work and pyjamas were the coziest clothing they had. When Kelly went back out to the living room, she saw her fiancée curled up on the couch, reading an article on her laptop.

"We agreed not to bring work home with us unless it was an emergency," Kelly stated. Sarah nodded.

"It's not work. There's no online guide to assembling a Megazord. I think I'm on my own with figuring that one out."

"So, then what are you doing and please tell me it's ordering pizza."

"Nope," Sarah said. She turned her laptop to show Kelly the article.

"Ten things you know if you have social anxiety?" Kelly asked. She looked to the former pink Ranger with a frown. "Uh, correct me if I'm wrong here, but you don't have social anxiety. You're the most social person I know. You have I-have-to-save-the-world anxiety, and I don't think there's an online guide for that, either."

"I don't have social anxiety," Sarah confirmed. "Zoey does."

"Zoey does?" Kelly frowned. "I haven't noticed, not that I spend a lot of time with her, I guess."

"Jax caught her in the middle of an anxiety attack and didn't know what to do, so he found me. I recognized what was happening and Zoey opened up to me and Serena a little bit. I'm gonna help her work on it, but I'm kinda… clueless on what it's like."

"Make sense. Like I said, you're the most social person I know," Kelly nodded.

"That's why I'm looking this up," Sarah stated. "I've had anxiety before, so I know what that can feel like, but if I'm gonna help Zoey with this, I want to know what might set her off. She's going to talk about the project she's working on with the mayor and…"

"Wait, someone with social anxiety is going to talk with the mayor of a city?" Kelly frowned. "Seems daunting. Is she up for that?"

"It's a big ask," Sarah nodded. "But Mayor Daniels is nice enough, and Zoey already told me about her project, and I know it's awesome. He'd be an idiot to turn her down. Besides, we're not avoiding failure."

"You're tough," Kelly said. "I'd have started her off with something easy. Talk to a dog or a cat or something that won't outright dismiss or reject her."

"Have you ever talked to a cat?" Sarah chuckled. Kelly smiled.

"So, are you going to be doing this for long? I was kinda hoping for a night with my fiancée, without work talk or Ranger talk."

"I'll order pizza," Sarah said, closing the tabs she had open about social anxiety. She knew that while it was helpful to have some insight, everyone was different. Her own anxieties didn't always follow the same rules as everyone else did and Sarah expected the same from Zoey.

While Sarah started the process of ordering pizza online, Kelly turned on the TV. As she expected, the news was on. Part of working with the Rangers meant keeping up to date on everything. Especially in her position, keeping up on the news, which often shared how people felt about the Rangers' latest appearance, was crucial, so the news was always the first channel on the TV when it turned on. Kelly wanted to quickly switch the TV over to Netflix, but something caught her eye.

It wasn't often addicts or prostitutes were featured as a main story. Usually, there had to be a bigger story that broke before they featured anyone from that walk of life. However, fame was big enough in itself, even if it was adjacent. Sarah and the Ninja Steel Rangers having their identities become public meant that everyone now knew about them. And while that often didn't lead into much, considering their Ranger days were done, anything any of them did that was even remotely newsworthy would quickly be featured across the country.

The Tiens had felt the brunt of that almost right away. Preston's original doubts for coming out had been out of concern for the attention it would give to his parents. Since the Tiens were financially more than well off, and Preston as a Ranger was responsible for a lot of the damage and suffering in the city, it made sense that some people would try to go after his family and get financial compensation. Preston himself was more than happy to oblige. Money never meant anything to him because he always felt money was the reason, he and his parents were never close. They were always consumed with work in order to earn more money and stay on top. They were hyper-focused on appearance, wanting others not to simply assume they were rich, but to see it, and know it.

If money would help victims move on from what happened, Preston was happy to share. Unfortunately, when he came out as a Ranger, his parents disowned him. Even if they hadn't, his family's money wasn't his. He hadn't inherited it yet and had no say in where even a simple dollar went. He couldn't help and his parents wouldn't. They didn't believe they owned the city anything, and while Preston wouldn't argue the truth in that, he believed that since they were so well off, and since they had the means to help, without it costing them anything in the grand scheme of things, that they should.

When they refused, the media hounded them for weeks. It covered the front pages of newspapers, was the first article to pop up on every news site and was the feature story every single night. As the story stopped evolving, everyone was forced to move on, but still, there were traces of it almost everywhere. And though Preston did his part to be the good guy and offer his support where he could, there really wasn't much he could do.

Now that there was a new team of Rangers in the country, Kelly had hoped everyone would move on from Ninja Steel. Damage was done, they were old news. Unfortunately, a story like this had to be told.

Kathryn Baker had been arrested for public intoxication, possession of illegal substances and prostitution. While normally, crimes that didn't involve harm to someone else didn't usually get so much focus, Kathryn's connection to Sarah prompted this story to take precedence, and the media wasn't afraid to make that connection very clear.

"So much for sober," Kelly heard Sarah say. She submitted the order request, then closed her laptop.

"Despite what they want to make people think, this doesn't reflect on you," Kelly reminded her fiancée, but Sarah pointed to the screen.

"If this is where our Rangers come from, can we really trust them to continue protecting us?" the reported commented. "I'm Muriel Reeves from Channel 10 news. We'll continue updating you on this story after a quick break."

"That's rich, coming from a Ranger mother herself," Kelly said. Sarah frowned.

"What?"

"Commander Shaw shared with me the Ranger files," Kelly said. "You know, their known families, their past, anything I might need to help cover their asses in case something got out."

"Like having a drug addict prostitute for a mother?"

"Exactly," Kelly nodded. "That I know of, none of the Rangers have that, but Zoey's file did list her mother was a reporter named Muriel Reeves so…"

"But she doesn't know."

"Exactly," Kelly grumbled. "I'm tired of these stories coming out as they're unfolding or pushing a story up before we really know what's going on. Anyone who knows you knows Kathryn had nothing to do with you. They're creating panic where it doesn't exist, just to get ratings."

"You do what you've got to do."

"But this tarnishes your reputation…"

"And I don't care about that," Sarah muttered. She tossed her laptop aside. "Pizza will be here in half-an-hour. I'm not hungry anymore."

"Sarah…"

Sarah didn't answer. She turned away from her fiancée and walked into their bedroom, slamming the door. Kelly sighed loudly and turned to the TV.

The media really sucked, but Kelly was determined to fix that. She grabbed the laptop from the couch and started to type up her next piece. She hoped to have it ready by morning so it could be approved by Commander Shaw before it was released.


	31. Side Projects

"You want to do what?" Commander Shaw asked.

"I won't be revealing anything about Beast Morphers or Grid Battleforce," Kelly explained to her boss. She had tracked Commander Shaw down that morning to propose her most recent project. Unfortunately, Commander Shaw was a bit hesitant about it. "It's just… this city and the country knows that Sarah and I are former Rangers working on a Ranger project now and… well, it's causing a bit of trouble."

"Does this have to do with the news reported last night?" Commander Shaw asked. Kelly nodded her head. At least the commander was aware.

"Everything. Sarah revealed a lot of personal information when she was outed as the pink Ranger, but it was also a lot about becoming a Ranger. She didn't get to talk much about her personal life, and I have to say, it's pretty complicated."

"And you want to share that?" Commander Shaw asked. "I'm assuming you have your fiancée's permission to do this?"

"Not yet. Sarah isn't exactly herself right now," Kelly said with a sigh. "But no one knows her story better than me."

"I'm not releasing a story about someone without their permission," Commander Shaw stated. "Your job is to ensure that the city is comfortable with the Power Rangers and they're kept informed with information necessary to their safety, survival and a few extra facts, just to keep them comfortable. We're not a gossip magazine…"

"Commander Shaw, this isn't gossip," Kelly told her. "This is the story of one of the former Power Rangers, and one of the few Power Rangers to have their identity revealed. You'll have Sarah's approval before I release anything but I really think this will help the Rangers and help Grid Battleforce."

"Can you explain?"

"Sarah's history, her family, is pretty complicated – and complicated is confusing. If people are confused, they're going to be scared. This connection the media is making between Kathryn and Sarah is wrong."

"Sarah is not her mother…"

"We know that," Kelly said. "But Commander, a lot of people don't know, or won't understand that. They don't know Kathryn's been out of Sarah's life for over a decade. They don't know the people who raised her, the ones who influenced her and made her a good person. If all they see is a drunk, drug-addicted prostitute, that's what they'll associate with Sarah. And Commander, not to take anything away from you, but who's the biggest face of Grid Battleforce right now?"

Commander Shaw considered that question. While Grid Battleforce was her project, which she built from the ground up, and she made sure she was always present for the media when they arrived, her reputation stopped there. Commander Shaw was only known for Grid Battleforce. When she hired Sarah, and when Kelly joined the team later, they were familiar faces. They were the people the city already knew they could trust. They were the experience that Grid Battleforce and the Beast Morphers team would need to have an advantage over their enemies.

"We know who Sarah is," Kelly told Commander Shaw. "Let the rest of the world see it too. I promise, Grid Battleforce and the Rangers will benefit from the truth being out there."

"I need Sarah's approval on this project before you run it by me," Commander Shaw stated. "And you will run it by me before you release it."

"Like always," Kelly smiled. "Thank you, Commander."

"Thank you," Commander Shaw nodded. As Kelly made her way back to her office to get started, Commander Shaw started to make her way to the labs. She was stopped just before she got on the elevator by Sarah.

"Commander, do you have a minute?" Sarah asked her and the Commander nodded her head.

"Kelly mentioned you weren't yourself this morning," she said. "Is everything alright?"

"I just have a lot on my mind," Sarah said. "I wanted to ask you for… something of a day off for the Rangers."

"You want a day off? We just got started and…"

"They'll keep their communicators on their person the whole time," Sarah said. "I'll run them through training when we're done so they don't fall behind and I promise, I'll keep up with my own work too."

"You're asking for a lot of time lately, Sarah…"

"Commander, you hired me as the Ranger expert," Sarah reminded her. "You know I want to protect the city. You know I want this to be the best team they can be. Isn't it fair to trust my judgement here and assume I wouldn't be asking for this if it wouldn't help them in the long run?"

Commander Shaw nodded her head as Sarah raised an excellent point. Though she was the woman in charge, she knew when someone else had more experience and knowledge then her. It was why Grid Battleforce was run by experts in their fields. When it came to saving the planet, there was no room for ego. Commander Shaw had an understanding for all the departments that worked in the building, but she would never claim she was an expert in any of the fields.

While she knew enough about battle, training heroes and raising kids to be the best they could be, she had to admit, this was the very reason she hired Sarah. She wanted someone with experience to help build the best Ranger team she could get. If Sarah, the expert, deemed it was important, then Commander Shaw had to trust in her instincts.

"Alright," she agreed. "But there will be training."

"They won't go home without a good butt kicking," Sarah promised with a smile before she raced off. Commander Shaw just sighed loudly as she watched her go.


	32. Stealing Credit

Evox wasn't happy with him, and Scrozzle knew why. So far, the Rangers had proven that they were tough opponents and as much as he hated to admit it, they had all the advantages on their side.

To travel between dimensions, robots, avatars, and viruses like Evox needed a source of energy that would be strong enough to support their jump. Morph-X in small doses was enough for a being like an avatar or a small robot but was nowhere near enough for something as complex as Evox. Unfortunately, even with only small amounts needed, the robot was running low on his supply and sadly, to get enough Morph-X, they had to use Morph-X.

Scrozzle did have a plan, though. If he had enough Morph-X, he could send a Gigadrone into the city. Gigadrones were impossibly large robots, created from the same programming as their smaller counterparts. Scrozzle planned to use the Gigadrones side by side with their regular sized robots to cause maximum trouble for the city. The more trouble, the more distracted the Rangers would be and the more Morph-X they could steal. The more Morph-X they stole, the fast Scrozzle could prove himself to Evox by setting him free on Earth.

Unfortunately, for his plan to work, he needed a lot of Morph-X now. As he apologized to Evox for the delay and promised that once the ball got rolling, it would be no time at all, Blaze and Roxy returned from a quick trip to Earth. They could sense that Evox was in a mood and though Scrozzle tried to hide it, he did appear to be a bit scared.

"Looks like we got back at the right time," Roxy smirked. Scrozzle tried to brush her off.

"We're a bit busy here, avatar," he hissed. "Unless you have good news…"

"It's better than good news," Roxy said. "Morph-X is now available to the public. Cars are starting to fuel up with it, which means it's about to get so much easier to steal."

"That's good news," Evox said, sounding glad, which irritated Scrozzle. He was supposed to be the one getting all the credit. Avatars were inferior to robots, especially since they were created form humans, who by nature were flawed.

"We over heard a conversation between some of the Rangers," Blaze announced to Evox. "They're going to talk to the Mayor about X-Bikes. From what we've gathered, it seems like they're bikes powered by Morph-X. They won't hold as much of it as cars would, but if the Rangers get their way, these bikes will just be laying everywhere in the city."

"Why not go after the cars?" Scrozzle asked, trying to throw a wrench in Blaze and Roxy's plan so they didn't appear so competent.

"Well, we could do that," Roxy said. "But since it's only a few cars that hve made the conversion from gas to Morph-X, and there's literally no way to tell which is which, the bikes are the easiest targets right now."

"Bring me Morph-X," Evox demanded.

"There's just one problem," Blaze admitted and Scrozzle perked up. "We don't know how to extract the Morph-X from…"

"I have just thing for that," Scrozzle announced. He rushed over to his work station and grabbed a small vial of Morph-X. "Whatever you inject this Morph-X into will automatically turn into a monster, with the dominant ability of whatever it is you transformed. So, a bike pump, for example, might turn into a monster with the ability to pump, or drain anything."

Scrozzle handed the vial over to Roxy. She smirked.

"Guess it's not just nuts and bolts in that tin can of yours," Roxy said. Scrozzle clenched his fists. He didn't like that the credit was shared, but he did know Evox was smart. His master would realize that without him, Blaze and Roxy's plan was worthless. And while they were busy obtaining the Morph-X, Scrozzle could focus on the real work. All the Morph-X in the world wouldn't help Evox without a machine to pull him from the cyber dimension to Earth. And even that would be no good without a body to provide Evox with a physical form. That was where the real credit lay, and Scrozzle wouldn't share any of that.

So he fumed while Blaze and Roxy were looking, but once he was gone, he promised Evox he wouldn't rest until the mission was complete, then headed back to the work table.


	33. Still A Win

Zoey had never been more nervous than she was right now. As the boys unloaded her Morph-X Bike prototype from the car, she and Sarah were making their way over to the Mayor. While the plan to run a road through the forest wasn't official yet, the Mayor wanted to know how it would be possible, and needed a solid plan to present to the city so that the people would know exactly what they were voting for.

Coral Harbour always prided itself on its green space. It had fields, parks and forests that were supposed to remain untouched. However, the idyllic nature of the city had attracted a lot of people to live there and as a result, the city was becoming more and more congested. Traffic was starting to build up on some of the major roads and people were complaining loudly about it. When he had been elected, the Mayor had promised to find a solution to the traffic problems, and he wasn't intending on disappointing. Unfortunately, the only way to ease traffic was by building another road, and the only spot where there was room was through the forest.

Zoey knew her idea would work. People wanted a way to be more active that wouldn't interfere with their already busy lives. Biking to work wouldn't take much longer than sitting in busy traffic and would provide people with the exercise they wanted. If people were too tired, or simply preferred the convenience of biking, without the effort, the Morph-X bikes could provide that too. Though they did have pedals, the Morph-X engine built into the bike meant that it could run on its own, allowing the user to take a break when they were tired.

More people on bikes meant less cars on the road, which meant there would be less traffic and no need to tear down the forest to build a road.

"Are you ready?" Sarah asked. Zoey shrugged her shoulders. Nothing would prepare her for this. She wasn't sure how she would even get the Mayor's attention, never mind what she might say when she had it. Sarah, though, seemed confident, and had already promised Zoey that she would step in if Zoey appeared to need it. "All you have to do it try, alright?"

"And say what?"

"You'll know," Sarah assured her, then called for the Mayor, interrupting his conversation with the planner. When he saw Sarah, he excused himself and made his way over. Sarah looked to him with a bright smile, "Sorry for the interruption, Mayor Daniels, but we have a proposal for you."

Zoey played with her hands nervously. She could feel her heart racing and her palms sweating. The world seemed to spin around her and the only reason she didn't think she was going to have a full blown attack in this moment was because it was Sarah talking.

"I'm kind of in the middle of a proposal right now," the Mayor told Sarah. "If this is Ranger related, Grid Battleforce already has my blessing to do what needs to be done."

"It's about this project," Sarah said and pointed to the forest. "Did you know Coral Harbour has some of the cleanest air in the country?"

"We've already crunched the numbers, considered alternatives…"

"You haven't considered Zoey's idea, yet," Sarah said. She turned to Zoey and smiled brightly. Zoey seemed a little stunned, though, so Sarah knew she might need some prompting. Fortunately, it was at this time that Devon and Ravi brought Zoey's bike over. Sarah pointed to it, reminding Zoey was she needed to say.

"Bikes?" the Mayor asked when he saw. "You don't think I considered bikes?"

"Zoey?" Sarah asked, prompting her again. "This isn't just any bike, is it?"

Zoey shook her head, swallowed the lump in her throat and looked at the bike, "It's… it's uh… it's a Morph-X bike."

"She designed it herself," Sarah said confidently.

"And what makes it different from all the other bikes out there?" the Mayor asked Zoey. She looked to him nervously, then to the bike.

"It's… it's powered by Morph-X."

"It's a motorized bike," Sarah said. "Powered by clean energy."

"It's a great idea, dad," Devon told his father. He had learned all about it in the car on the way over and thought for sure that his father would go for it. Unfortunately, the Mayor shook his head.

"We've tried bike to work initiatives. It's just not efficient enough for most people, and by the time you get to work, you're sweating and…"

"But that's the bright side to these bikes," Ravi added.

"You… you can bike to work if you want," Zoey said. "But with the motor, if you're in a rush or don't want to risk sweating, the bike will drive itself. You… you get to work without sweating a drip… drop."

"Dad, you know this is a great idea," Devon pushed. The Mayor looked to the bike, then to the four before him. Sarah seemed confident in the idea. Devon looked a little excited and Ravi seemed to support it without hesitation. However, Sarah had mentioned that this was Zoey's idea, and the young woman seemed nervous, almost fearful when presenting it, which left the Mayor to wonder if she had full faith in this project or not.

"I still need some time to get this project ready," he decided. "There's a week before I propose the idea to the city. If you can get these Morph-X bikes on the road, and people using them by then, _and_ it eases traffic, I'll halt the road project."

Success, or at least, they hadn't failed yet. Sarah would take it. She thanked the Mayor profusely for his time, insisting they wouldn't disappoint, then turned to celebrate with the others. Devon knew this was a good reaction from his father so was all to happy to give Sarah a high five. Ravi was glad to hear that the project would have a little more time.

Zoey didn't see the success. She saw the failure. The Mayor didn't like her idea – not yet. He didn't seem to think it would work, and was giving Zoey a chance to really mess things up. Without his support, how was she going to get most people riding the bikes in the span of a single week? The Mayor was asking her to solve a problem he hadn't yet solved himself, and giving her no time at all to do it.

While Devon and Ravi helped to pack up the bike, Sarah walked back to the van with Zoey.

"You did it," Sarah said, but Zoey didn't respond. Sarah put her hand on the yellow Ranger's arm. "Zoey, we have a week to make this work. The mayor giving us a shot. That's a good thing."

"How are we supposed to do this?" Zoey asked.

"We'll make it work," Sarah promised her. "We'll get some more bikes from Nate, we'll ride them around, show them off…"

"It's never going to be good enough," Zoey muttered. Sarah shook her head. She saw this as a win, but from the way Zoey was talking, it was clear their perspectives were a little different. Sarah knew about anxiety, and the darkness that it could create inside someone's head. Zoey _couldn't_ see the good in this situation. She could only see where she had failed.

"Hey, listen," Sarah said and stopped to look at Zoey. "This isn't ideal, I agree. But we have a shot and we'll make it work. And even if it fails, it's the bike that failed, not you. You talked to the mayor today about your idea…"

"With help."

"But you did it," Sarah insisted. "Even if he turned it down, which he didn't, I'd still call this a win."

"I don't know…"

"Just… trust me, okay," Sarah said. "Don't trust anything but me right now. This is a huge win for us, and a huge opportunity, okay?"

"I…"

"You won today. Tomorrow, we'll get the bikes out to the public. Maybe we'll win tomorrow too. Okay?"

"I… I guess," Zoey nodded. Sarah smiled.

"One step at a time. For now, though, we celebrate. I promised Commander Shaw we'd get some training done, but what about some ice-cream after?"

"Ice-cream?"

"You want something else?" Sarah frowned. She was used to a more enthusiastic response whenever ice-cream was proposed.

"No, ice-cream sounds good…"

"Zoey, this is your win. What do you want?" Sarah said. "I'll eat anything. Cookies? A cake? Fro-yo?"

"Carrots?"

"Ca… Okay, we'll pick up some carrots after training," Sarah said and tried to sound as enthusiastic as possible over picking up a celebratory bag of carrots.


	34. Make Amends

In Grid Battleforce, Kelly was working hard in her office on the story about Sarah. She was doing her best to create a story where Sarah and Kathryn, despite the biological connection, were two very separate individuals. It wasn't a hard story to fabricate, since it was entirely true. The hard part was wording it so that no one could read between the lines, or think this was a cover up. Kelly needed to be open and honest, which still leading the public to believe what she wanted them to believe.

It was delicate work and she needed focus. For most of the day, she had that. No one in the building needed her attention, and Blaze, Roxy and Scrozzle seemed to be content with leaving the Rangers and the city alone for the day. However, towards then end of her working day, there was a knock at the door.

Security in Grid Battleforce was tight, but since Kelly worked as Public Relations, the public had access to her office with minimal security checks. A sign in sheet at the front security desk was the most rigorous check. Her office had no access to any other parts of the building without the right badge, so it was still relatively safe.

"Come in," Kelly called and saved her work. She assumed anyone who came all this way to talk would want more than just a moment of her time. Unfortunately, she didn't like who she saw coming into her office. She pointed to the door. "Get out."

"I'm sober."

"How many minutes?" Kelly frowned. She glared at Kathryn. "You promised you were doing better."

"You saw the news, huh?" Kathryn asked shamefully. Kelly nodded her head.

"We owe you nothing. You promised you'd leave…"

"Something's come up."

"We're not giving you money. We're not giving you a place to stay. We're not helping you…"

"I'm not looking for help for myself," Kathryn shook her head. She pointed to the chair on the other side of Kelly's desk, asking for a seat. Kelly reluctantly nodded. She had already insisted Kathryn leave, but it seemed the older woman wanted to be heard. If listening would get her out, Kelly would let her vent, then kick her out. "Last night… that wasn't on purpose."

"Classic excuse. It's not my fault, officer. The alcohol poured itself down my throat. I don't know how the drugs got there. His dick just fell into…"

"Please," Kathryn begged. "Please, hear me out."

"You haven't deserved it."

"It's not for me," Kathryn repeated, sparking Kelly's curiosity. Who would Kathryn be trying to help? She had no one in her life, which was likely why she had already fallen off the wagon with her sobriety. Kelly could only think of Thomas, and she wasn't willing to help him out either.

"Who?" Kelly demanded. Kathryn placed her hand on her stomach. Kelly laughed.

"You think I'm buying that?"

"I know it's hard to believe. Trust me, even the people at Planned Parenthood were shocked but…" Kathryn reached into her pocket and took out an ultrasound. Kelly reached out to grab it. She had never seen one before, but this looked credible.

Suddenly, kicking Kathryn out didn't seem so easy. While Kelly wanted nothing to do with the woman, the child she was carrying – claiming to carry – was perfectly innocent. Kelly couldn't, in good conscious, turn down a chance to help what would be Sarah's sibling.

"What do you need?" Kelly asked. "A hand to hold? Money? Me to warn Child Protective Service to come knocking at your door nine months from now?"

"I'm not making the same mistake I did before," Kathryn said. "Sarah… you know better than I do that with a good parent around, Sarah found a way to thrive. And I'm sure if I had made sure of that with Thomas, he wouldn't be in prison now either."

"Well, he is still the spawn of Satan," Kelly muttered.

"I want to do right by this one. Third time's the charm."

"Just… to confirm," Kelly said. "This is baby number three, right? Not four, or five, or…"

"Only the third," Kathryn nodded. "I'm not hiding anymore secrets, I promise."

"I can look into support groups for you," Kelly suggested. "Surely someone in this building must know something about abortion support groups and…"

"Abortion?" Kathryn frowned. Kelly looked to her curiously.

"You said you wanted to do the right thing by the baby," she said. "You have no house, you're barely sober enough to call yourself sober, you have no education or job experience to fall back on except prostitution, and that doesn't have a god track record for being a safe, family friendly environment. You're really going to bring a kid into that world?"

Kelly had to hope that there was some other answer here. She wanted nothing to do with Kathryn and knew that the older woman being in Sarah's life would only complicate things for the pink Ranger. However, if there was a child involved, Kelly really couldn't cut all ties and hope for the best and she doubted Sarah would want that either. Thomas never had anyone in his life who he knew wanted better for him and he was rotting in prison. Sarah had someone who fought for her, who loved her and actually did provide her with a safe, family friendly home and she was doing well. Kelly wanted – needed – to give the new child that same support.

"I'm adopting," Kathryn said. "And… and… I was hoping the baby could stay in the family."

"What family?" Kelly asked. Kathryn just looked to her. Kelly shook her head as she pointed to herself. "We're not family."

"You said it yourself, I'm barely sober and I'm pregnant," Kathryn said. "So far everything seems normal but… I want the best chance for this baby and I'm worried that won't happen. A drunk mother? On drugs? A baby conceived by a total stranger who paid for sex?"

"Someone will love that baby."

"You already do," Kathryn said. She looked to Kelly sincerely, then to the picture of Sarah on Kelly's desk. "Do you really believe I stayed completely sober while I was pregnant with her? You love Sarah, in spite of everything."

"Never in spite. I love everything about Sarah. Period."

"Please, tell me you'll think about it," Kathryn begged. "If I can leave this kid with you, I know they'll be okay. I'll know I've done right by them, for once in my life."

"I'll talk to Sarah," Kelly said. "We'll see what we can do."


	35. Flashy Sells

Things appeared to be going well for Zoey's project. Nate was able to quickly build a couple dozen bikes and the morning after Zoey's talk with the mayor, the bikes were stationed around the city for people to use, free of charge. There was enough Morph-X in the bikes to power them for a day of continuous use, so no one needed to worry about the bike running out of energy halfway through their trip. Zoey, Sarah, Ravi and Devon even used their free time to advertise the bikes to people walking by, people grumbling about a late bus, or people who were stuck in traffic as a result of all the congestion.

Not one bite. No one wanted to try the bikes out. People who were walking preferred to walk. People waiting for the bus weren't drawn by the convenience of the bikes. People who were stuck in traffic didn't want to commit to the thought of using the bikes the following day.

The Rangers tried to push the bikes for a couple of days, but no luck. By the end of the second day, Zoey was left feeling very discouraged, as her idea seemed to be failing. Now not only would her first project be a huge flop, but the mayor would have no choice but to cut through the forest to build a road.

She sighed as she walked her bike, the prototype, up the driveway to her house and dumped it by the front porch. She didn't bother to lock it up – no one had shown any interest in the bikes at all, and she doubted anyone would want to steal one, especially since they were all over the city, free of charge.

She walked into her home and saw her mother in the kitchen. Muriel heard her daughter coming home and welcomed her with a bright smile.

"Do I have a news story to cover tomorrow?" Muriel asked. "City's congestion troubles solved by young, brilliant, beautiful…"

"No one cares about the bikes, mom," Zoey muttered. She sat at the table and let her head drop. "My project is a huge disaster. No one wants to use the Morph-X bikes."

"Want me to try to include them in a piece?" Muriel offered her daughter. Zoey shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know what good it will do. I think between the four of us, we've talked to everyone in the city."

"Well… the bikes are a little… well, bikes," Muriel stated, trying to be gentle while still getting her point across. "If I want people to tune into the news, I need to tease something… intriguing."

"Not getting stuck in traffic?"

"That's not a story, Zo," Muriel said. "No one cares about not being stuck in traffic, until they are stuck in traffic, and by then, it's too late to grab a bike. You need to get people's attention before they get in their cars, or they walk all the way to the bus. You need to get people to wake up excited to take a bike to work."

"How do I do that?" Zoey asked. Her mother set dinner down on the table.

"Well, and not that your bikes are boring, but when I need to pitch a boring story, either to my bosses or to the viewers, I do whatever I can to make it flashy. Take that prostitute that was arrested the other day. A prostitute doing drugs and drinking isn't a story. But if I sell the story as the parent of a Power Ranger, suddenly the story is more interesting. People want to tune into that, because it's not something they see every day."

Zoey looked to her mother quizzically, mostly due to the story. She felt a bit hurt that her mother would challenge the Rangers like that, and worried that, without knowing, her mother might attack her in a similar way if she wasn't careful. However, she couldn't fault her mother for being unaware, and her story did give Zoey an idea.

"The bikes need to be flashier?" she said. "Not just every day bikes that have been around for decades now but…"

"Something new. Something that people aren't used to seeing every day," Muriel nodded. Zoey jumped up from the table and grabbed her plate.

"Is it okay if I eat this in my room? I think I know what I can do for the bikes."

Muriel nodded and smiled, happy to see her daughter so inspired.


	36. Growing Family

Things had been going too well, so of course, a giant wrench had to come in to wreck things.

It started that morning. The Rangers, after training, were going to work on making the Morph-X bikes flashier – an upgrade Zoey seemed sure would help them get people riding the bikes and ease traffic before their deadline. However, with Morph-X on the streets, Blaze and Roxy were eager to take advantage. They had with them a bot that was able to extract the Morph-X from the bikes, rendering the bikes powerless and supplying them with Morph-X to help Evox's plan. The Rangers needed to step up quickly, and so their project had to be postponed.

Sarah intended on helping out the Rangers, but since things seemed to be going rather smoothly, all things considered, Kelly asked Sarah if they could have a chat. Since Kelly had been asking for a moment for a couple of days now, and Commander Shaw and Nate assured her they had everything under control and would call if she was needed, Sarah stepped out with Kelly. They went to the former green Ranger's office, where Kelly asked Sarah to have a seat.

"We're not breaking up, are we?" Sarah asked. "I know I've been busy with this lately but…"

"You're building a team, I get that," Kelly said. "Besides, I've been a bit busy myself. This isn't about us. Well… it is, but not like that."

"Like what?"

"While you were out the other day, your… Kathryn stopped by my office," Kelly said. "The downside to public relations is that public part."

"Are you okay?"

"It was just a chat. She wasn't intoxicated or anything but she did have a request."

"If it'll get her off our back, I guess we can tap into the wedding fund a little bit…"

"It's not money," Kelly said. "Besides, I told her, we're not giving her money, or a place to stay or anything. She lost that support from you a long, long time ago."

"So, then what's the issue?" Sarah asked. If Kelly had already refused to help Kathryn, then there was no point in this conversation. While Sarah was glad she now knew that Kathryn had stopped by, and went behind her back to talk to her girlfriend, she was more glad that the problem had already been dealt with.

Kelly wasn't sure how to put it. There was the obvious, blunt way. She could blurt out '_your mother is pregnant and wants us to take the baby', _but that seemed a little insensitive. She could soften the blow, which was probably what she would do, but if she softened it too much, Sarah likely wouldn't see the issue without a very long talk to get there. If she didn't soften it too much, it would be no better than just outright coming out with it, and Kelly was worried if she did that, Sarah might feel like the decision was already made.

"Something… happened, to your mom." Kelly looked to Sarah, gauging her reaction. Sarah seemed ready to listen, so she continued to speak. "It's why she went on her bender."

"What happened?"

"She tells me she's pregnant."

"She's old."

"It's rare, but people older than her have become pregnant… naturally," she added before Sarah could argue.

"But she's also not… her body is barely supporting her."

"Sarah."

"This has to be a scam."

"She was telling your father the truth," Kelly told Sarah. "Besides, she didn't ask for money. I refused to help her out right from the start, and she still wanted to talk."

"So, if she doesn't want money, what is she claiming to want?"

"She wants us to take the baby."

"It's a scam."

"Sarah…"

"We adopt her kid, we're paying medical bills, and we know where that money's going to go."

"So, we refuse to help out," Kelly stated. "And what happens if she's telling the truth?"

"She's not."

"I'm not saying she is but... can we take the risk that she's lying? What if when she told your father she was pregnant with you, he didn't believe her? Do you really believe that four years later when Child Protective Services knocked on his door, that he would believe a prostitute he slept with a few years back had his baby?"

"So, you want the baby?"

"I want to talk about it," Kelly said. "Kathryn raised some good point when we talked."

"Like what?"

"She wants to carry the baby to term," Kelly said. "And she's got every right to do that."

"Agreed."

"But she knows she's making the wrong choice if she keeps the baby. She's going to adopt the baby out and she thinks their best shot at a good family is with us."

"Why?" Sarah asked. "We're not even twenty. What do either of us know about raising kids?"

"Nothing," Kelly answered. "Which is why we need to talk about this. But this baby's background is going to be sketchy at best. Even if the father is known, he's someone who sleeps with prostitutes. I know your dad did at some point too, but you have to admit, most men who'll stoop that low, aren't good men."

"Agreed."

"And if the father's history isn't known, all anyone is going to know is that their child's mother is an alcoholic, drug addicted prostitute who got knocked up at a late age and didn't stop using as soon as she found out she was pregnant. She doesn't think it'll be easy to find the right family for a kid who comes with that much background already."

"Why does she think we'll be the right family, then?" Sarah asked.

"Well, you are that baby," Kelly reminded her. "And even with all that background, I still love you."

Sarah nodded her head, taking a minute to think. She looked to Kelly, "When does she want an answer?"

"I didn't give her a time, but probably sooner, rather than later."

"And what do you want?"

"I know, down the road, I want to have a baby. I know IVF is tricky, and finding a donor has its own challenges, and adoption can take years…"

"So, you want the baby?" Sarah asked.

"We have an opportunity to grow our family. It's sooner than I'd like, and I'd never imagine Kathryn be the biological mother but… I don't think I could just give up this baby to a family that might not love them right. In my mind, this kid will either turn out to be you or Thomas and at least with us, we know they'll be loved and cared for exactly the right way."

Sarah wanted to agree with Kelly. They were going to have kids one day, but there was a lot going into this decision that she couldn't make it on the spot.

"Let me… finish helping the Rangers with whatever Blaze and Roxy have up their sleeve, then we'll talk more."


	37. Never Ready

Zoey felt on top of the world in this moment, though her body would say otherwise.

She had used all her energy in her fight with Roxy but it was well worth it. With some help from her teammates, they managed to stop Blaze and Roxy from stealing too much Morph-X and bringing it back to the Cyber dimension. Zoey, on her own, stood against Roxy and despite all she had going against her, the yellow Ranger managed to think on her feet and figure out a way to get Roxy to back off. It wasn't an easy feat. Zoey remembered Roxy from their Ranger training together and had always admired her confidence and strength She had not been surprised to hear Roxy had been chosen in the yellow Ranger position.

Now an avatar, Roxy was confident, strong and ruthless. The cybervillain held nothing back. She wanted to take all the Morph-X or destroy everything that stood in her way.

But Zoey stepped up, and if she could do it with everything on the line, she knew she could do it again with her project and the mayor. Facing Mayor Daniels wouldn't seem so big now that she knew she could, confidently, outwit an opponent she once considered stronger, smarter and better.

After the battle, with very little energy to speak of, Zoey needed some time to recover. Fortunately, carrots worked quickly and so the yellow Ranger only had to spend a couple of hours on the hospital floor before she was clear to head back home. Just as she was getting changed into some fresh, clean clothes, Devon and Ravi rushed into her room.

"Zoey! You have to see this," Devon said and he showed her the tablet he was carrying. Zoey looked to the video he was showing and nodded her head.

"That's my mom," she said, pointing to the news anchor. "I'm not surprised she got our Ranger story…"

"Not that, look at what she's featuring," Ravi said. Zoey knew her mother could be a little biased with her stories. Since there usually wasn't much in the way of breaking news in Coral Harbour, Muriel liked to include stories from her own life to "spice things up". Every year, when Zoey participated in the science fair, Muriel would be at her school to cover it. The winner would always be featured in a story, and Zoey remembered her own projects getting a shot in the limelight.

She wasn't surprised to see her mother's story featured her Morph-X bikes. Her mother was a proud one and so would do whatever it took to help Zoey succeed.

During the Ranger battle, Blaze had tried to get away from the Rangers with Morph-X. He used one of Zoey's bikes for his getaway. To keep up with him, the Rangers needed to move quickly. Their feet wouldn't be fast enough and calling their Zords was going to be overkill. Since the Morph-X bikes were nearby, the Rangers each took one and chased Blaze across the city. That lead to the battle that Zoey had with Roxy.

Since Power Rangers were a big deal in any city they were in, and an attack in any part of the city, never mind downtown, was a huge story, Zoey wasn't surprised to see her mother on the scene from a helicopter. However, the shot from the helicopter gave a very interesting perspective of the Rangers using the Morph-X bikes to ride around. Muriel couldn't stop raving about the bikes and how convenient it was that they were around the city when they were needed, and even tossed in a reminder or two that these bikes were completely eco-friendly.

At the end of the day, no damage was done to the city from the bike chase and from the comments pouring into the stream, it seemed the bikes were a huge hit. Many people were asking where they could pick up the bikes and talking about how convenient they would be for quick errands or for getting to work in the morning.

"They're a hit, Zoey," Devon told her with a smile. "Everyone loves the bikes."

"Mom even said we're getting requests from the city to make more of them," Ravi added. "Nate's flooded with work."

"I should probably help him," Zoey said, realizing that if Nate was flooded, she should probably lend a hand. This was a personal project, after all and it wouldn't be fair to ask Nate to do all her work for her. She thanked the guys for showing her the video and hurried to the lab. There, Nate was busy overseeing the Morph-X project while the Beast Bots helped him build them all quickly.

"I came as soon as I heard," Zoey said, almost apologetically, but Nate shook his head.

"It's fine, really. We're actually almost done," he smiled. "These bikes are amazing, Zoey. You did an excellent job."

"Thanks."

"I'll bet the Mayor's going to regret not backing you in the first place. It… it really was an awesome idea."

"Having the Rangers use them really helped me out. I thought for sure this was going to be a flop; that they weren't cool enough."

"They're cool now," Nate said. He looked to Zoey, "I know I believed in you."

"We did too!" Betty announced as she and Ben walked into the lab with their version of the Morph-X bike in tow. However, this one seemed to be a tandem bike. "Ta-da!"

"What's that?" Zoey asked.

"Morph-X Bike 2.0," Betty said proudly.

"The 2 is for two people," Ben clarified. "Carpooling, but for bikes."

"So… tadem?"

"Bless you," Betty said to Nate, before hopping on the front seat of the bike, while Ben climbed onto the back. "See, riding with a buddy is so much more exciting then…"

As Betty tried to explain her project, she felt something shift in her bike. Before she could realize what was wrong, one screw came loose, and then another and suddenly, the bike collapsed. Fortunately, Ben and Betty were both wearing helmets as they crashed into each other on the ground.

"Okay, maybe Morph-X Bikes 2.0 isn't such a good idea."

"It's a good idea," Zoey assured her while she helped her up. Nate came over to help pull Ben up to his feet. "It just… needs a little work, I guess."

"You really think?" Betty asked and looked to Zoey hopefully. Zoey nodded her head.

"Don't give up on it, alright. You'll make it work."

"Then back to the drawing board, Benjamin!" Betty called to the brother as she grabbed her half of the bike. Ben groaned loudly as he turned to follow his sister.

"But we just left the drawing board."

"And now we're going back!" Betty announced. As she marched out of the lab, she bumped into Sarah. The pink Ranger had to excuse herself from the battle earlier and hadn't been seen since. Now that she was back, with a sick look on her face, Betty assumed she had been sick the whole time. "Wow, you don't look good."

"Thanks," Sarah muttered.

"Everything okay?" Nate asked her. Sarah shook her head.

"I… I think I'm having a baby."

"Congratu… Nope!" Betty pulled back when she saw Sarah's response didn't seem to be a happy one. Then she frowned. "Wait… how do you get pregnant?"

"Betty, that's personal," Ben scolded her. Betty frowned.

"She's marrying a girl, Ben," she reminded her. "And you and I received the same talk about how babies are made."

"We're adopting… maybe."

"Congratu…. Nope!" Betty responded again when she was met with the same look as the time before. She was still confused, though. Adoption was supposed to be a happy time for the parents-to-be. They were receiving a child they had been waiting for. While her own relationship with her parents was strained, she had heard happy stories of her own adoption. She couldn't imagine why parents-to-be would be upset by the news.

"You're… maybe adopting?" Zoey asked. Sarah nodded her head.

"Kathryn… my biological mom, is pregnant. Apparently, making babies is the one thing her body can still do well, despite all the abuse she's done to it. Not to mention her age."

"Are you sure she's pregnant?" Nate asked.

"Kelly asked her all the right questions. There's the ultrasound…"

"Easily faked," Nate said.

"Do you want a baby?" Ben asked. Sarah shrugged.

"Eventually… but… my own sibling?"

"Families come in all shapes and sizes," Betty told Sarah. "The important part is that everyone is safe, the kids are loved and cared for and the parents are happy. Would adopting make you happy?"

Sarah thought about it for a minute. She knew Kelly had made the point earlier about what might happen to the child if they didn't take them in. Thomas had been raised by his parents until he was removed from their care and placed in foster care. He had a rough time in foster care, with some homes being the reason for his discontent. However, considering his actions, Sarah had to assume that even with a loving and stable family. Thomas would have been miserable. He wanted to be raised by his birth parents, and couldn't understand why he couldn't ever return to them.

On the other hand, she herself had been removed from her first family, but placed with a father who loved her. She grew up happy, strong and cared for, despite her background. While she was sure there was a family out there who would adopt her sibling in spite of the background, it was also possible that wouldn't happen. That parents looking to welcome someone new into their family wouldn't want a child with a questionable background, and if parents didn't find the baby soon enough, they would be too old. When adopting, a lot of families wanted to start fresh, with brand new babies or infants. If the baby didn't find a family right away, the odds would continue to slim down until they aged out.

However, Sarah wouldn't see a questionable baby. She would see herself, and the potential of her child. She would know that the past didn't dictate the future. Kelly too; having biological parents who were careless monsters didn't influence her own character. Kelly was kind, compassionate and open to different ideas and lifestyles.

On paper, they were the perfect parents for this child. The question was, were they ready for a kid? They were still kids themselves.

"I want a child," Sarah said. "Having a baby would make me happy but… am I ready?"

"Were you ready to be a Power Ranger?" Betty asked her. Sarah turned to her.

"Huh?"

"You were chosen to be the pink Ranger, right?" Betty asked. "At least, that's what you said in the interview. You didn't apply for the job, it just happened. Were you ready for that responsibility?"

"I made it work," Sarah said. "But I don't want to make a baby work. I want to enjoy being a parent."

"We can't make this choice for you," Ben told Sarah. "But you do want a baby and in a few months, there will be a baby that wants to have a real family. This opportunity might not come around so easily again. Once you think you're ready, it could still be years before you're chosen again."

"But do the right thing for you," Betty said. "If it's not right for you, it won't be right for the baby either."

"I guess I have a lot to think about," Sarah nodded.


	38. The Human Factor

It wasn't that Roxy couldn't recall life before becoming an avatar. She had all the memories of her old life. It wasn't that she couldn't understand their impact and importance on someone; it was that she didn't care for emotions. They weren't important to her.

Who she was before becoming an avatar wasn't who she was now. The memories felt like they belonged to someone else entirely. They felt like a curse; a burden given to her to stop her from being too good.

Blaze often complained about the memories. They were like dreams of things he didn't want or didn't care for anymore. They were memories of people he planned on crushing, destroying. They were memories of times that no longer evoked any true emotion in him. As an avatar, they couldn't feel emotions the same way their human counterparts once did.

Roxy understood anger, fear, pain, joy, love, excitement. She knew what those feelings were, what they felt like and how they could influence someone's life. She just wasn't controlled by them anymore like humans were.

"Hold on," Roxy said to herself with a bit of a smirk as an idea came to her. Humans were run by their emotions. A good day was determined on whether they felt more positive feelings than negative ones, and things like love and heartbreak could be used to manipulate a person into doing anything. Roxy recalled memories of her old life, and how Ravi breaking up with her almost pushed her to quit becoming a Ranger. If she hadn't resisted – been stronger than her feelings – she never would have become the avatar she was today.

"That's it," she called out as an idea came to mind. Humans were controlled by their emotions. Avatars were freed from that prison. She had the perfect plan to get exactly what she wanted. Best of all, it allowed her to play with the idea of manipulation. Just how far would she be able to push a Ranger to do her bidding for her if she used love as her weapon of choice.

Everything she needed was implanted in her head already. She had all the memories of her time with Ravi, from the moment they met right up until they broke up and she was blessed with the life of an avatar by Evox. She knew Ravi cared for her and that would be exactly how she would get her way, prove to Evox he was right selecting her, and take over the planet alongside him.

The Rangers didn't view what happened to her and Blaze as a blessing like she did. They considered it a curse – an illness that needed to be cured. Roxy felt freed from the burdens of humanity but Ravi would see it as a prison. And humans – the emotional creatures that they were – wouldn't have any positive emotional associations with prisons. Not to mention, breaking up with her right before she entered into the "prison", breaking her heart and causing her that pain right before it happened…

Guilt, love; Roxy could use all of it. She could manipulate Ravi without much effort at all if she played her cards right. If she acted like she needed his help, offered him a chance at redemption – simply just the opportunity to clear his own conscious without any consideration of her own feelings in the matter – then she could get exactly what she wanted, and by the time anyone realized it would be far too late.

"You really think that's going to work?" Blaze asked her when she suggested the idea to him, running it by the only person she trusted completely before she presented it to Evox while Scrozzle was around.

"I could get the dumbass to do anything I wanted when I was human," Roxy reminded Blaze. "Should be a piece of cake to do it now."

"What do you need me to do?"

"Nothing," Roxy shook her head. "Honestly, Blaze, you need to do nothing. They think Evox is controlling us, let them think you're still controlled by him. Ravi needs to believe our love is reaching out to the humanity in me."

"Love? Humanity? Oh god, I'm going to be sick," Blaze said as he pretended to gag. Roxy chuckled as she shoved him.

"This is going to be the easiest con. Scrozzle's going to wish he hadn't been so dismissive of avatars once we show him how superior we are."


	39. Guilt

Ravi didn't claim to know much about avatars. He tried to learn as much as he could after Blaze and Roxy were turned into them, but that was still mostly Nate's department. He understood technology and the ins and outs of it. He would piece together the stuff that hadn't yet been explored by the more mainstream users.

But one thing he did know – avatars were emotionless. Nate had been sure to emphasize that and Ravi had seen it for himself. While Roxy had always been tough, doing what she needed to do in training to advance, she was never malicious like her avatar. Using people as stepping stones just wasn't her character.

That wasn't what Ravi saw today. In a monster attack – one set up by Blaze and Roxy – Ravi found himself in a little bit of trouble. He wasn't going to get out of it on his own and was certain he would spend a couple of days in the infirmary if someone didn't come to his aid. He expected Devon or Zoey to show up, or for Nate or Sarah to help him out over the communicators with a new weapon at the last minute.

Instead, Roxy gave him a hand, pulling him out of trouble and calling off the monster before Ravi was hurt. It was exactly what he would expect from human Roxy, but completely out of character for her avatar.

Then there was the look. Before she walked away, Roxy gave Ravi a look that he was sure he understood. Somewhere, deep down, she was in there.

It made sense. She had to be in there. She was Roxy, just another version of her. She was connected to her human part and so it made sense that her human side, the part of her that was still good, could come through the avatar.

"I… I don't know," Nate shook his head when Ravi brought it up. "I mean, we destroy the avatar and we risk losing Blaze and Roxy too but… the avatars aren't… I mean… there's no reason to think Blaze and Roxy have any level of control."

Nate was probably right, but Ravi didn't want to believe it. Nate had just been chewed out by the Commander for leaving Grid Battleforce on his own and was now essentially grounded. It wasn't safe for him to leave on his own considering how much the Rangers relied on him for their technology and their weapons. Nate, who was almost an adult and had been living without his parents for a few years now already, was being treated like a child by his boss, while being expected to perform like an adult.

Ravi had to believe that Nate was bitter, and since he was being shut down, he would act in kind and shut down Ravi's only hope that there was a way for him to save Roxy. He had broken her heart right before she had become an avatar and for what?

He thought about that a lot. The rules were very clear, and his mother had been even clearer. Rangers weren't allowed to date. There were many reasons for that. In a team of three, if two people were dating, the one left out would feel exactly that: left out. If it came down to it, there would always ben the question of whether choices were made strategically or out of love. If the relationship did break up, there was a strong risk of tension interfering with their responsibilities, or even one Ranger choosing to quit and leaving the others in the lurch.

Ravi had understood that. It made sense not to have any romantic relationships between Rangers. He had hoped Roxy would agree, or at least respect his decision and the fact that it wouldn't work for him.

But after she became an avatar, and after working with a former Ranger, current couple, he started to think maybe he had been a little too eager to follow the rules. Roxy had wanted to challenge the rules a little and he felt he could have tried that. Talked to his mother about them, ask for a bit of leniency, maybe set a few ground rules. He prioritized his Ranger duties over his relationship and he wasn't sure that was the right call. Was it possible he could have made it work?

With Nate still feeling a little upset from his scolding from the commander, and Sarah trying to encourage him that this would blow over, Ravi decided now wouldn't be the time to bring it up with Sarah. He had been on the receiving end of his mother's disappointment and knew sometimes it could be a hard blow to take. Fortunately, a couple meant two people, so he had someone else he could turn to for advice.

He left the lab and made his way to Kelly's office, knocking before he entered. He knew since she was working in public relations that her door was always open so the public felt Grid Battleforce was transparent, but he didn't want to interrupt her if she was busy. When he was invited in, he took a seat at her desk and let out a bit of a sigh. Kelly looked to him.

"Still thinking about what happened with Roxy?"

"You saw that?"

"M job requires me to analyze everything to public could have seen or might see and get ahead of it. Roxy saved your ass today and avatars are supposed to be cold, emotionless bitches."

"We only know that because Nate said."

"He's smarter than Sarah so in my books, all I need is his word… well, and common sense. I wouldn't believe him if he told me bananas were blue but when it comes to technology and that, if he's sure, I'm sure."

"I'm not," Ravi said. "Her mission is to get the Morph-X and take out anyone who stands in her way. She's tried to kill me before, so why the change of heart?"

"You think she saved you because it was you?" Kelly asked him. Ravi shrugged.

"She tried to blow Zoey up just a couple days ago. Then when I'm in trouble, she helps me out. It's got to be love."

"Has Sarah talked to you about her brain injury before a space princess brought her back to life?"

"I haven't heard that story," Ravi shook his head. "Though I am intrigued by literally every word you just said."

Kelly chuckled, "It's quite the story, but the space princess part isn't the focus here. Before the miraculous recovery was handed to us, Sarah's brain injury was… well, traumatic. Her seizures are under control as long as she keeps up with her meds now, but then, we'd be lucky if we went a couple of days without at least two. And then there was the other side effects. She couldn't really self-regulate. If something upset her, she completely lost it. It was kinda like reasoning with a two year old who had access to weapons and the strength of superwoman."

"That sounds rough."

"It was. Sarah's Power Star even rejected her, that's how bad it got. She was cut from the team by the very thing that saw nothing but good in her. And she was almost cut from the team by her friends too. She was, in every sense of the word, dangerous, and it didn't matter if she loved you, if she never wanted to hurt you. Once she was upset, everything was fair game for destruction."

"How does that relate to what Roxy did?" Ravi asked. "She saved me today. I looked in her eyes and I know…"

"You don't think I looked in Sarah's eyes too? When she was throwing chairs and books and anything she could get her hands out across the room? You don't think I saw the regret and guilt in her eyes when she saw the mess she had made, completely against her will. You don't think I saw the pain she felt when she realized someone she loved had a bump, or bruise, or was bleeding because of her?"

"But she didn't mean it…"

"That didn't matter. She was dangerous. If Mick couldn't shape shift, I'm not sure he'd still be around today. But I didn't want to admit that. I didn't want to admit my girlfriend could be a psychopath because I loved her and I felt badly for what happened. Fortunately, space princess saved the day before we had to kick Sarah off the team for good, and now she's better than ever… just don't ask her to read or write anything in any recognizable language."

"So your relationship influenced your decision making?" Ravi asked. "My mother was right about her rules?"

"The no dating thing?" Kelly asked. "I mean, in that case, probably but… Sarah was only going to get kicked off the team, not out of our lives and because I loved her as much as I did, I was able to vouch for her when she needed someone to believe in her most. That's what you do for your partner."

"So, relationships are good?"

"Depends," Kelly shrugged. "Sarah and I… we built each other up. Hayley and Calvin, also dating Rangers, did the same. But, as a couple, we also knew that we had to be able to knock each other down a few pegs when it called for it. Hayley was especially good at that but we all had our moments."

"Have any examples?"

"We were lucky to have two couples of a team, so whenever there was some drama, the other couple would set each other right. But that's no different in a romantic relationship than it is in a friendship. Sometimes you need a little outside help to solve a problem. Calvin and Hayley broke up because Calvin killed Sarah in a future that no longer exists. Actually, he broke up with her, Hayley just wanted to talk it out before making a decision. Sarah jumped in and set Calvin straight. She didn't bring them back together again, but she vouched for Hayley and told Calvin if he wanted to not be a dick, he had to let her decide what she wanted. They talked and worked things out, and the team was stronger for it. Because Hayley loved him so much, she was willing to see things through and keep the team working together, instead of letting it fall apart. She and Sarah are best friends, so if it weren't for the dating, Hayley might have never spoken to him again."

Ravi wasn't sure what to think now. Kelly had just presented him with a reason for both sides. Being in a romantic relationship could interfere with their duties as Rangers, but it could also help.

"Depends on the relationship and how committed you are to making everything work," Kelly told him with a shrug. I know for our two couples, we were in it for the long run, but understood that being a Ranger meant sometimes the relationship needed to be sidelined for a minute. Some people are good at separating those things and some people can't."

"Roxy and I dated before all this. It was pretty serious," Ravi said. "But the rule about Rangers dating seemed to make sense to me and so I called it off. I thought I was doing the right thing."

"I can't tell you, Ravi," Kelly shrugged. I know Roxy the avatar and you as the blue Ranger. I don't know if dating as Rangers would have worked for you."

"The day I break her heart, she becomes an avatar," Ravi said with a sigh. "I just… I can't help but feel guilty about that."

"Don't let what you want to see interfere with what Roxy's actually telling you," Kelly suggested. "We've been caught in that a couple of times. When emotions get involved it's always a bit messy and super tricky."

"I'll do my best," Ravi promised then excused himself from the room. He wasn't entirely sure what the right thing to do was, but he knew what he wanted to do. He had already hurt Roxy out by playing it safe and following the rules. He wasn't sure he could continue to live with the guilt of knowing that he hadn't been there for her when she needed him the most.

He would do what he could live with. Looking like a fool for love would be a lot easier to brush off than ignoring her cries for help now and learning about how he let her down later.

He just hoped Roxy really was looking for help.


	40. Whatever It Takes

If he was going to meet up with Roxy, Ravi assumed he would need a neutral location. Expecting her to come find in in Grid Battleforce was asking for too much. If she was really still somewhere inside the avatar, she might not want to risk blowing her cover with Evox, or even Blaze. Not to mention, no one wanted to believe that the avatars could have some good in them. Ravi needed to believe in her first, and give her the chance to prove herself, before he could expect the others to come around. They trusted Nate too much.

Meeting her in the Cyber Dimension was too risky and Ravi wasn't sure it was truly possible without at least some sort of consequence, even if it was just that he remained captive there. He couldn't risk it.

He knew Roxy was reasonable and so if she was looking for help – if she still was inside the Avatar, she would come to the fountain in the city center. It was where they had their first kiss, and where they returned for all their special moments while dating.

Ravi waited a while. He wasn't sure how long he might have to wait, but he had expected for it to take time. As the sun started to set, just when he was about to give up, he heard a very familiar and soothing voice call his name.

"You waiting for me?" Roxy asked him with a bright smile – one he loved. Ravi stood up and nodded his head, looking her up and down just to be sure this was her. The mannerisms were the same. The way she walked, her hair, that smile. Everything seemed to scream Roxy instead of evil Avatar.

"Is it really you?" Ravi asked her. "I mean is Roxy, my Roxy, still in there?"

She looked around, as if making sure there was no one around, before she gave a subtle nod. Then she spoke quickly, "I've been able to overcome the effects of Evox's evil virus from time to time but I need your help to beat it."

This was all Ravi needed to hear. He knew Roxy had to be in there, the way she had saved him earlier. There was no way something designed to be evil could have a heart like hers. He nodded, ready to do whatever he needed.

"I need something from Nate's lab," Roxy told him. "The neural aligner. It turned me into an Avatar, it can turn me back. Cancel out the effects of the virus."

Ravi hesitated now. The neural aligners were very important pieces of technology. While they had turned Blaze and Roxy into Avatars, they had also transformed him and his friends into Power Rangers. Need be, Ravi was sure Nate could create more Power Rangers with it as well.

There were a couple in the lab, but if the neural aligners were so important to the Rangers in terms of building up their team if needed, there was a possibility they could be used against the Rangers if they fell into the wrong hands. Ravi was certain that Roxy could be trusted but…

"Ravi, I need your help," she begged him and Ravi felt the guilt wash over him again. He nodded his head. He had to do something. Just as he was about to promise he would do what he needed to do, she backed away from him, as if something had frightened her. She begged for his help once more, then disappeared. Ravi tried to reach out, as if he could pull her back from nothing, but she was gone. Ravi let out a sigh, then turned around. It was the end of the day and Grid Battleforce would be emptying out. With his clearance, it wouldn't be surprising to see him walking around the building and since there would be so few people who could spot him, it would be the perfect time to steal something from Nate's Lab. However, as he turned to head back to Grid Battleforce, he saw Kelly had been watching him, a couple of containers of take out on her lap and arms crossed.

"Ravi…"

"I know what you're thinking," Ravi interrupted her. "But it's not what it looks like."

"It looks like you're trusting Roxy more than your own team," Kelly said. "You heard what Nate said about Avatars. They're cold, emotionless…"

"You don't know Roxy," Ravi shook his head. "She's in there. There's always a chance Nate's wrong about them."

"I should have told you the story about Aiden," Kelly muttered. "Ravi, I know what you want to believe but sometimes, the people we love are really dicks."

"Not Roxy."

"Ravi…"

"If there's a way to help her, I need to try," Ravi insisted. "If I trust Nate, instead of going with my gut, and she has to suffer more because of it… I'd never forgive myself."

"And what if this blows up in your face?" Kelly asked him. "Ravi, you said there was a chance Nate was wrong. What about the chance he's right? What if she's just playing you? If you give her what she wants and it bites you in the ass, or worse, hurts one of the others, how are you going to feel?"

"No one is more important to me than Roxy. I know that now."

"Yeah, but Ravi, if you're wrong then that's not Roxy," Kelly reminded him. "If you're wrong, your friends suffer and Roxy, the one in Grid Battleforce whose counting on you, she suffers too."

"If that Avatar is connected to Roxy, then Roxy's connected to her too," Ravi insisted. "And I don't care what I have to do to help her."

"I'll have to report you," Kelly said. Ravi shook his head.

"You'll be too late," he told her as he approached her. He reached around her. Kelly thought he was going for the bag she kept on the back of her chair to help her carry her things around. Instead, he spun her chair around and dumped her out, leaving her sprawled on the floor while he bolted for Grid Battleforce.

Kelly groaned and rolled her eyes as she watched him run away from the ground. She wished now that she had allowed Preston to cast a spell on her chair again to prevent this, but she didn't think anyone would want to mess with a known former Ranger like that, especially when she had a team of other Rangers who would surely track them down and cause them pain. It was an insanely violating thing to do and Gia had assured Kelly that it qualified as assault. She never expected she would need that kind of protection from the public anymore, much less from her friends.

Still, being a Ranger taught her to never assume the worst wouldn't happen and so just in case she was wrong, she had taught herself how to climb back into her chair. It was awkward and uncomfortable, but she could pull herself up. Since her upper body was all she could use, she always ensured that it would be strong enough to support her own weight, in case she ever needed it.

She climbed back into her chair. They were close enough to Grid Battleforce that she was sure Ravi was inside already. She debated calling Sarah, letting her know what the blue Ranger had planned, but then she stopped herself. If Ravi was so desperate to help ROxy that he would shove her out of her chair, then there was no telling what he might do to someone if they actually tried to resist. Nate wasn't a Ranger and Sarah was vulnerable because of her injury. One good blow, even from a friend who was holding back, could end her life. If Ravi tapped into his gorilla strength out of anger, the fight would be over before it started.

She'd head back to Grid Battleforce and inform the team what happened once she arrived. By then, Ravi would likely have what he needed, but there would still be time before he delivered it to Roxy. That was all the time the others would need to stop the worst from happening.


	41. Making Decisions

While a lot of their work did require a lot of focus, parts of their projects were more mundane. Running scans of weapons and the suits to be sure they were operational meant a lot of the work was done by computers, and Nate just had to sit and wait for results. When nothing came up, which happened usually, he would simply move on to the next check.

For Sarah, the latest project she had going was creating a Megazord. The Nexus Prism had granted her and her team their Powers and provided them with the weapons and arsenal they needed to stop Galvanax and then Oedius. It meant that though the Rangers did have to understand their technology for it to work properly, finding the right Megazord combination was more like assembling a puzzle than building one. The Morphing Grid had supplied this new team with powers, but this was a man-made team and so everything, from the design of the suits, to the weapons they used, to assembling the Megazord, had to be programmed by someone. Nate would be able to do the programming part, but he needed someone who could design and build the Megazord so it would use all the pieces of the Zords in the most efficient way, without falling apart on the first strike. That was Sarah's job for now, but she had reached a bit of a wall, and needed to take a mental break for her sanity and her health, which meant she and Nate had a lot of time to talk.

And unfortunately, the only thing Nate wanted to talk about was her potential baby. Kathryn was pregnant and didn't want to raise the baby but refused an abortion. She had always delivered every baby she had, regardless of circumstances, but this time, she wanted to really do better. Instead of trying to raise the baby herself, knowing her life wasn't even close to being good enough for her, she planned on adopting out the baby to a family that could care for them properly, right from the start. Her first choice was her own daughter and her fiancée. Sarah's life had turned out wonderfully, and if anyone could love the child, it would be her.

"I'm only eighteen, though," Sarah said. "Most people would still call me a kid, and I think we all can agree that kids raising kids is a bad idea."

"Is it a bigger responsibility than saving the world?" Nate asked her. "You had literally billions of people counting on you every day single day."

"But they could take care of themselves."

"You acted as Mayor of Summer Cove in the worst time in it's history."

"I had help."

"And you would with a baby too," Nate assured her.

"You really want me to have a kid, don't you?"

"I've… always wanted a brother," Nate admitted. "I grew up pretty alone, even here. You're the first person I have working with me. Sometimes, when I'm by myself and there's nothing to do, I imagine what it's like to have a brother. Someone like me who I can talk to and… you know, be brothers with."

"My baby won't be your brother," Sarah teased him. Nate chuckled and nodded his head.

"No, I know that but… how cool would it be to have a little kid to show the world too? Teach him about technology and coding and engineering and watch his passion grow?"

"Might be neat to see a mini-me running around," Sarah agreed. "But babies are way more work than that."

"I know, which is why I think we would all pitch in. I know maternity leave is a bit… non-existent as a Ranger but Grid Battleforce does have an amazing daycare program and… well, I'd always be happy to watch the little guy."

"Or girl," Sarah said. "And she can still kick ass in STEM."

"No doubt," Nate nodded. "And… I just think, you'll always wonder about the baby. Why not know, for sure, that they're getting the best care."

"Sometimes that means giving them up, though."

"To a family that doesn't have your network? Sarah, you're a Power Ranger. I may be new in this business, but I have been studying the Morphing Grid for years and that does involve a lot of following the Rangers around. I may just see the masks but when duty calls, Rangers always show up. When one of them is in trouble, their team always has their back. I have no idea where most Rangers have ended up, but you'll never be short on resources if you needed a hand, especially working here. And there's no way you're the first Ranger to have a baby."

"Serena had a kid while she served," Sarah pondered out loud. "Terran is a great kid. And Gia and Emma share their kids. I hope you can meet them one day. Joe is this super resilient, super loving, brave kid and Ciara's sharp as a tack, easily outsmarting even the grown ups sometimes, but there's still a little kid in there that just… pops right out when you least expect it."

"Sounds like they're good kids."

"Gia and Serena didn't even serve on the same teams and they're super close with each other's kids. Helping all the time. And Gia, Jake and Emma co-raising their kids… it's kind of neat. It'll be hard but… maybe you guys are all right. Kelly and I want kids one day and it's not like we can conceive the traditional way. IVF can seriously suck and adoption can be a crap shoot."

Sarah smiled brightly as she looked to Nate, "I've decided," she said as the doors opened and Ravi walked in.

"Decided what?"

"I'm having a baby."

"Shouldn't you tell your fiancée the news?" Ravi suggested. Sarah smiled, glance to Nate, who gave her a nod that he could juggle things while she stepped out, and then darted off. Ravi then looked to the young scientist.

"Didn't think you'd want to push the baby thing. She'll need to take some leave."

"I managed this long without her, I think I can manage a few weeks with limited access," Nate said. "Besides, a baby would be cool, wouldn't it?"

"Yeah… except… the dirty diapers and the puke and stuff," Ravi frowned. Nate shrugged.

"The price we pay."

"Speaking of prices," Ravi said. "They're selling of the pie in the cafeteria for half price. I know how much you love it and…"

"Can you watch this?" Nate asked, though he was already starting to rush off. Ravi nodded his head. "Great. If it beeps just…"

"I know, check the scans, if there's a problem I let you know."

"You rock, Ravi," Nate said as he darted out of the lab and to the elevator. He rode it down to the cafeteria where he bolted to the pie, only to see it wasn't on sale. There wasn't even any pie. Today's dessert was chocolate cake; good, but not Nate's favourite.

"Huh, that's odd," he said as he made his way back to the elevator. "Maybe Ravi got his days mixed up."

As he pressed the button to call the elevator back and as he waited, Kelly rolled up beside him, looking a little roughed up, and without the dinner she had promised to bring him and and Sarah back. He frowned.

"You okay?"

"Have you seen Ravi?"

"Not yet."

"Has Sarah?"

"She's looking for you, why?" Nate asked. Just then, the elevator dinged, the doors opened, and Ravi stepped off, carrying his gym bag. Nate looked to him curiously. "Should you be…"

"Sorry, mom called. She needs me to head home," Ravi explained. "Scan finished, nothing came up, so I started the next one."

"Okay, thanks," Nate smiled, then turned to Kelly. "Were you looking for Ravi?"

Kelly and Ravi exchanged a glance. He was certain she would rat him out and she could see him starting to sweat. She shook her head.

"Nope. Just… asking. Hadn't seen him in a while."

"I've got to go, then," Ravi said and moved quickly as he left. Kelly let him go, then got into the elevator with Nate. She let the doors closed, then turned to him.

"Call Devon and Zoey," she said. Nate frowned.

"They're off."

"It's an emergency."

"Are you okay."

"Just do it, please," Kelly asked him. "I'll explain everything once we're in the lab."


	42. Apologies

Ravi deserved the biggest "_I told you so,"_ from Kelly that she could muster up. After stealing the neural aligner from Nate's lab, Ravi went back to the fountain to deliver it to Roxy. As soon as it was in her hands, she dropped the charade she had fooled him with and trapped him inside the aligner. He couldn't move, helpless to save himself as she tried to use it to convert him into an avatar – her plan all along.

Ravi could see now that Avatar Roxy and his Roxy weren't the same people – not even close. Now that she had beaten him – fooled him – she gloated about her victory. She rubbed it in his face how easy he was to trick, how gullible he had been, and how he should have known better than to believe that Avatars were so weak as to have human emotions. Roxy never would have humiliated him like that, especially when he would already be beating himself up over his mistake.

And he was sure that would be the last thing he ever did: regret not listening to his friend, regret stealing from a friend, and regret letting his friends down. Just before he blacked out, he could see Devon and Zoey, rushing to his aid. He worried it was already too late. He could feel Evox's virus taking over his body.

Suddenly, he felt nothing. His body hit the ground and it took him a moment to get his bearings. He was disoriented, unsure whether the transformation had worked, or whether it had been stopped. He vaguely heard Devon assure him he would be okay, before he saw the red and yellow Ranger rush in to take on Roxy. She put up a bit of a fight, but with the neural aligner in hand, she knew to cut her losses and when she saw an opening, she ran. Devon and Zoey waited, morphed, for a moment to be sure she was gone and no longer a threat, before they came back for him. They helped him to his feet.

"You okay?" Devon asked. Ravi nodded his head, but couldn't bring himself to actually answer. He wasn't an Avatar, that must he was sure of, so there was nothing for his teammates to worry about.

He was embarrassed, though; and ashamed and kicking himself. He had risked everything all because he wanted to believe he hadn't royally screwed up with Roxy. He let his feelings for her get the better of him. Suddenly, it made perfect sense why his mother had banned Rangers from dating. His judgement had been clouded in the worse way possible and now, Roxy had what she needed.

"We'll get you back to Grid Battleforce and make sure," Zoey promised Ravi as she and Devon helped him to the van, where Ben and Betty were also waiting so they could drive the Rangers back.

Ravi didn't say anything on the way to Grid Battleforce, nor did he say anything once they arrived. He let Nate run a few tests and listened when the young scientist confirmed that he was alright and that Roxy's attempt to turn him into an avatar had completely been thwarted when Devon and Zoey showed up. As Nate turned away to clean up, Ravi noticed he seemed to look betrayed. It made sense: Ravi had lied to him and stole his technology.

"What were you thinking?" Devon asked the question everyone had on their minds. Ravi shrugged.

"I… I guess I wasn't."

"I didn't think this needed to be said," Sarah spoke. "But handing over our technology to the bad guys… isn't ever a good idea. Last time I let that happen… well, let's just say a lot of people suffered."

"She… she tricked me," Ravi explained. He didn't want to go into detail with his mistake out of embarrassment but… he also couldn't avoid giving his team something.

"Blackmail?" Zoey asked. It was a convenient out for Ravi. Blackmail would be the perfect way to explain himself and avoid complete and utter embarrassment, and a sure scolding from his team and certainly from his own mother. Roxy had all her human memories so he could claim that she had threatened to leak an embarrassing secret if he didn't help her out. He nodded his head, ready for the lie when he saw Kelly. She was sitting a little way off from the others. She had been there to make sure he was okay, and so far, wasn't pushing him to tell the truth. Instead, she seemed to be waiting to see what he would do. She already hadn't ratted him out once, and likely wouldn't rat him out again if he did choose to lie.

However, she would know about the lie. She had caught him, red handed, and knew exactly what his intention had been. If he lied, she would know she couldn't trust him and that would hinder the team. He couldn't do it. He sighed as his nod changed to him shaking his head.

"Roxy, the avatar, made me think that my Roxy was still in there," Ravi said. "She told me if I got the neural aligner, I could help her get back into her body and…I fell for it. Nate, you told me we couldn't trust them, and I didn't listen to you. I'm sorry."

"Ravi… I wish you could have trusted me," Nate told him. "Roxy's always been nice to me. You have to believe that if I thought there was any way she was somehow trapped with the Avatar, that I would have told you and I would have been working on a way to free her and Blaze."

"I know that now. I'm sorry I didn't believe you, Nate. And I'm sorry I lied to you and stole the aligner. I promise, I'm putting my trust in you, and my team, first from here on out. Devon, Zoey, I'm sorry you had to come rescue me. It never should have happened. I'm lucky Roxy decided to retreat because if she hurt either of you because of me, I never would have forgiven myself."

Devon and Zoey looked to each other, unsure of what the other felt over this. Zoey motioned for Devon to speak first. The red Ranger was a little upset, hearing what had happened, but he knew a sincere apology when he heard one. Ravi was genuinely upset by what he had done, and Devon was certain he wouldn't let something like this happen again. They were a small team of only three and if he refused to forgive his teammate, they would be at a serious disadvantage when Roxy, Blaze or Scrozzle decided to strike again.

"We're gonna make mistakes," Devon said. "Just… don't let it happen again, alright?"

"Promise," Ravi agreed before he turned to Zoey. She nodded her head.

"It's obvious how much Roxy means to you," she said. "You wanted to do the right thing."

"You guys are awesome," Ravi smiled at her. "I promise, this team comes first. I know, without a doubt now that Roxy, isn't my Roxy. If I want to get her back, I have to trust you guys every time. And I promise, you can trust me. No more handing over our technology to the bad guys."

"Did that really need to be said?" Betty asked.

"You'd be surprised what needs to be said," Sarah shrugged. "Don't trust the family that suddenly reappear into your life."

"The bad guys will do anything and everything to get what they want," Kelly nodded. "No matter how despicable."

"Don't throw your morpher into the ocean," Sarah said and received weird looks from everyone in the room. She shrugged. "Hey, we're just stating the unobviously obvious and that's one I heard Serena tell Gia a lot."

"Why would you throw your morpher into the ocean?" Devon asked.

"They never told me," Sarah said with a heavy sigh. "You know, for people who saved my ass a lot and who I trust with my life, they really don't tell me much… at all."

"Hopefully we can meet them one day," Zoey said before she glanced at the clock on the wall and sighed. "I should probably get home before mom wonders where I went."

"Dad's probably home by now too," Devon agreed as he started to leave with Zoey, Ben and Betty. Nate shut down his computer for the night and announced that it was time he head to bed as well. Sarah told Kelly that they should be getting home too, implying they had something they would need to discuss, but Ravi stopped them before they could leave. He looked to Kelly.

"I owe you an apology too." He looked down, feeling very disappointed in himself for his behaviour. While there was no excuse for the lie, he told Nate, or for stealing technology, and choosing to trust Roxy over his team and endangering them as a result, what he had done to Kelly… he really couldn't ignore. His other mistakes were the result of him trying to do the right thing. At the time, he did genuinely believe that though he was doing wrong, it would be for the right reason in the end, and he felt the phrase "_the end justifies the means"_ would apply. His friends likely wouldn't have liked his methods, but would have been happy he took the risk.

Dumping Kelly out of her chair was wrong no matter which way his journey turned out. He knew it was wrong while he was doing it and he knew there would never be a way he could justify his actions. "I'm so sorry I pushed you out of your chair like that."

"You did what?" Sarah growled, her face turning bright red in the blink of an eye. Kelly took her hand, both to assure her that she was okay, and to have a way to hold her back in case she decided Ravi deserved a beating.

"It was wrong of me to do. You were trying to help me, trying to warn me that I wasn't making the right call and… I didn't listen and I know I hurt you. I promise, it'll never happen again. I won't even touch your chair without your clear consent."

"You weren't thinking clearly," Kelly told him. "I'm not giving you an excuse, I'm just reminding you why you did it, so you don't do it again."

"It will _never_ happen again," Ravi insisted. "I can never apologize enough but I can promise you'll never have to worry about me."

"This is your only warning," Kelly said. "Don't make me regret it."

"You won't," Ravi said, then looked to Sarah, who still seemed fuming mad, but she had at least allowed Kelly to handle this problem herself. Ravi whispered an apology to her, assured her that he would fill his mother in on everything that had happened, and then he made his way out. Sarah growled until he was gone, then softened up and turned to Kelly.

"Are you okay?"

"I never felt threatened," Kelly said. "I got back up on my own and I know he was desperate."

"Say the word, I'll kick his ass."

"He's doing that to himself enough as it is," Kelly said. "He's a kid in love. We do stupid things when we're in love."

"That doesn't…"

"Sarah, I'm okay," Kelly assured her. "He never tried to hurt me. This isn't like Harley or Drex or…"

"I'll kill him!"

"Sarah," Kelly squeezed her hand and pulled her onto her lap. "I'm okay. That's what's important right now, got it?"

"How am I supposed to trust him around you?"

"Trust me," Kelly said. "Trust that I can handle myself. And I did. I got back up, by myself. In record time, I'll add. Your upper body workouts are really doing the trick."

"You are looking amazing," Sarah said with a smile.

"Why don't we head home, have a relaxing night and put this behind us?" Kelly suggested. Sarah was about to nod her head, then stopped.

"Tonight won't be relaxing…"

"Sarah, honestly, I don't feel threatened by Ravi at all…"

"Not that. You tell me you're okay, I trust you," Sarah said. "But… talking to Kathryn is always stressful."

"You want to reach out to her?" Kelly frowned. "Why?"

"Do you still want that baby?"

"Do you?"

Sarah nodded her head, a bright smile forming on her face, "I've talked with a lot of people and… it's never going to be the right time to have a baby but… the baby needs a family and… I know we can do right by them."

"You're sure?"

"If you are," Sarah nodded.

"I'll dial, you make sure you have all your stress toys on hand. You know, this will mean we'll have to make sure Kathryn takes care of herself, right? As in probably letting her stay in our house so we know she won't be using or drinking or…"

"We'll make it all work," Sarah said.


	43. Conditions

Kathryn sitting on the couch across from her felt awkward for Sarah. The fact that she had been invited to sit on the couch felt wrong. However, if she and Kelly were going to adopt her baby, some contact would be needed, especially when it came to ensure the health of the baby.

Kathryn seemed elated that Sarah and Kelly had agreed to the adopting. They were her first choice and while she had claimed that she would understand if they turned her down and forced her to look elsewhere for a suitable family, they were certain she was banking on them saying yes. If Sarah hadn't been so excited to become a mother, she would have been disgusted to know that she made Kathryn so happy when her mother – biological only – had never done anything for her.

"You do understand, we have a few conditions," Sarah told her, and Kathryn nodded her head. Using the word _condition_ when talking about their own child's future felt very strange, but Sarah knew she needed to be firm and clear with Kathryn if there was any hope of her prioritizing the wellbeing of the baby over her addictions and lifestyle. "You aren't going to like them, but they aren't for you, or even us. They're for the baby."

"Whatever you need," Kathryn said. "I meant it when I said I wanted to do right by the baby this time. Whatever you think is right, I'll do it, I promise."

"When was the last time you used… anything?" Kelly asked.

"Not since right after I found out," Kathryn answered. She seemed honest, and Sarah and Kelly both felt that if she was going to lie, she would have told them the last time she used was before finding out. Kelly made a note of Kathryn's answer, just to be sure they had it on record for when they visited the doctor.

"Alcohol?"

"Not since finding out," Kathryn said. "Honest."

"Not even a sip?" Sarah asked. "Not even while high?"

"Not a sip or a sniff," Kathryn assured her. "Just the drugs. Just to help me deal with the news. I did drink before I found out but… I didn't know."

"We'll want medical records," Sarah said. "Blood tests, anything the doctor suggests to get a good history for you and the baby. If there's anything we need to know, we want to know as soon as we can."

"It won't… You won't back out if there's something wrong, will you?" Kathryn asked.

"We'll cross that bridge if we get there," Kelly answered. It was what she and Sarah had agreed to say about all of Kathryn's doubts. She was still a drug addict and an alcoholic. She was still prostituting herself to make money. She would have to quit all that cold turkey now that she was pregnant. While Sarah and Kelly had decided to take the baby regardless of any health issues or developmental issues, they didn't want Kathryn to think that she could let herself go, even a little bit. They wanted her to worry her life would completely crumble if she gave in. They wanted to make her think twice about doing anything that could harm the baby.

"So, no alcohol, drugs, or sex with strangers…"

"Sex period," Sarah said. "You're in recovery at least until after the baby is born. You need to focus on keeping yourself and the baby healthy. There's not a person in the world who should come before that."

"Are there any other conditions?" Kathryn asked.

"You'll show up for every doctor's appointment," Sarah said. "On time and ready to answer all of their questions honestly."

"And you'll let us be in the room with you every time, for every second. Good news, bad news… whatever happens."

"Done," Kathryn nodded. She would have to work hard to keep that promise, especially the punctuality part of it. She had never been on time for anything in her life.

"You'll get a job," Kelly told her. "You'll work unless the doctor tells you, you can't."

"There's a job waiting for you at Grid Battleforce," Sarah said. "Since Zoey left the laundry department, there's been a need and they need someone to help out. It's hard work, but it'll keep you busy during the day, and tire you out enough that once you get home, you won't want to go anywhere except to bed."

"Is that safe for me…"

"You're tossing clothes into the wash and folding them. It won't hurt the baby," Kelly said. "Zoey assured us that the worst of it was being on your feet all day and getting no appreciation."

"Already an improvement from sleeping with strangers," Sarah remarked. Kathryn nodded her head.

"You won't live here," Kelly told her. "You're not invited in our home unless it has anything to do with the baby. After what you did to Sarah… we can't have you around."

"I have a place already I can…"

"You'll live in the break room on the first floor of Grid Battleforce," Kelly said. "Commander Shaw already approved it. It's got a bed, there's a hospital wing in the building in case there's an emergency with the baby, and you'll have access to showers and three meals a day."

"Healthy meals," Sarah insisted.

"It'll also mean you're on time for work," Kelly added. "And, if you honour our conditions, Commander Shaw agreed you could live there rent free. That means you don't pay to stay, you don't pay for food, water, electricity, none of it."

"So why work?"

"To keep you busy," Sarah said.

"We've also got you into Narcotics Anonymous meetings. You'll go at least twice a week…"

"At least," Sarah emphasised. "We'll start with one a day."

"And one of us has to go with you, just to make sure you're attending," Kelly said.

"We'll give you a little breathing room here," Sarah told her mother. "We'll walk you into the meeting and walk you out, but what you do and say in that room, we won't hear it. We won't ask what happened, we'll just trust that you're helping yourself with it."

Kathryn was a little happy to hear that. While she didn't like the restrictions, these conditions were placing on her, and the drastic change in lifestyle she would have to endure until the end of the pregnancy, she knew this was what she had signed up for. Somehow, Sarah had turned out to be a wonderful, smart, thoughtful, caring human being and Kathryn wanted that for her newest baby. If these were the steps, she had to take to ensure that she was going to give it her best shot.

No, she was going to do it. All of them. She would be honest, clean, and take steps towards recovery.

"Finally, once the baby is born, we'll keep in touch long enough to make sure you're okay," Sarah said. "But once you get the all clear from the doctor, that's it. The baby is ours. We're their mothers, not you. They won't know your name, what you did, or even who you are, until we decide they're ready."

"Closed adoption," Kelly said. "You don't get to check in. You don't get to make sure everything's okay. You leave them with us and disappear."

"Fair enough," Kathryn nodded. That was what she wanted anyway. She couldn't be a mother to the baby and didn't think for a second the girls would let her have any part in the baby's upbringing. "I stay clean, I attend meetings, I work, I go to appointments on time, I'm honest… anything else?"

"How far along are you?" Kelly and Sarah asked.

"Five months," Kathryn answered. Their jaws dropped. Kathryn had always been thin as a result of her drug use and the abuse her body took. She never took care of herself and it showed, but she didn't look anywhere near five months pregnant. Already the girls were concerned.

"But you… you just found out," Sarah asked.

"Let's just say the time of the month… wasn't a monthly occurrence for me… well, ever," Kathryn said. "And given my age, when it just stopped, I thought I'd finally hit that menopause thing. Turns out, I'm still very much fertile. Whether that's good or bad… I can't tell."

Sarah and Kelly turned to each other, unsure of what to say. Kathryn shrugged.

"Every body is different. My liver's on its last leg but my uterus is still going… I guess."

"I think we should have added hysterectomy into the conditions," Sarah whispered to Kelly, who shrugged.

"I don't think that's legal but… might be a good suggestion down the road."

"My odds of having _another_ kid are pretty nonexistent now," Kathryn assured the girls. "The doctor did say this baby beat the odds. Hopefully that means it'll be okay."

"We'll check in with the doctor at our appointment tomorrow. 8:00 am sharp," Kelly told her.

"You can spend the night here, tonight only, just to be sure we're all there on time," Sarah said. "The couch is comfortable."

"I will do right by this baby," Kathryn promised the girls as they started to get ready for bed.

"This is your best shot," Sarah said. "You screw this up, there is no helping you."

* * *

_Author's Note: I wanted to share with you a story that I wrote over on FictionPress. Check out my account (Lily Hanson) on that site to read my latest story "They Don't See". Feel free to check out any other stories over there that you haven't read._


	44. So Far So Good

Ben and Betty felt they were in the loop at Grid Battleforce. Since their promotion, they had access to all classified information, including anything Ranger related. It was necessary for their work. They knew who the Rangers were, their families, their powers, their strengths and weaknesses. They even felt like they were started to really become friends with them.

However, they felt very out of the loop when that morning, Kelly and Sarah walked in with a woman in tow who looked like she belonged in a prison cell or passed out in a dirty motel bathroom instead of at Grid Battleforce. Kelly offered to walk the woman down to the laundry department while Sarah walked up to the front desk to sign her in and collect her things. It didn't take Ben and Betty long to put two and two together.

"That's your mother?"

"Genetically speaking," Sarah nodded her head and the siblings understood.

"I can tell why you don't have a relationship with her," Betty said. "She looks… rough."

Ben gave Sarah Kathryn's ID badge and a couple sets of uniforms.

"Restricted access," he informed her. "Laundry room, cafeteria, showers and hospital."

"And the cameras outside her room will record if she leaves in the middle of the night," Betty added. "You have 24/7 access to her whereabouts."

"Thanks," Sarah said.

"So, this is happening. You're really going to be a mom," Ben said with some excitement. Sarah nodded her head.

"In about four months time."

"Four months?" Ben and Betty cried out, causing Sarah to chuckle.

"That was our reaction at first too," Sarah said. "But once it set in, we realized it's a good thing she's already that far along. Means we'll have to put up with her bullshit for less time."

"But if she's… you know," Betty said and made a motion that looked like she was putting a needle in her arm, "Is the baby…"

"A little small for her stage of development," Sarah said. "The doctor wants to keep a very close eye on Kathryn throughout the pregnancy to make sure that's not a thing, but she said otherwise, the baby looks good. She said we aren't out of the woods yet but she's pretty happy with what she sees so far."

"That's good," Betty smiled.

"Kathryn stayed clean while she was pregnant with me… mostly," Sarah said. "I really hope that won't change."

"You're doing everything you can," Ben reminded Sarah.

There was a pause in conversation. Sarah looked to Kathryn's things, knowing she would have to see her at least once more today before she could move on with her day, but she wasn't ready just yet. As thrilled as she was at the thought of having a baby, having Kathryn in her life, even temporarily, was hard. It was a reminder of all the ways Kathryn had failed her, either by not providing the care she needed, not showing up when she was needed, or showing up when she wasn't wanted.

Sarah wouldn't let her baby feel that way. Ever.

"So…" Betty said, wanting to break the awkward silence. "Four months to go… that's not a long time. Do you… uh… did you want to know if it was a boy or girl or doing the as long as the baby is healthy thing."

"The risk of the baby not being healthy is… really high," Sarah said. "Kelly and I feel kind of powerless there so when the doctor said we could find out, we wanted to know."

Betty's eyes lit up and she leaned forward against the desk, "Are you telling people? You'll probably want to tell your family first, of course but…"

"We'll share with everyone once we tell our families back home everything," Sarah nodded.

"A hint," Betty asked. Sarah shook her head. Betty leaned forward a little more, propping herself up on the desk at this point. "Just the smallest clue. We won't share, right Ben?"

"Betty…" Ben sighed, looking a little embarrassed for her.

"If I were to get you a congrats on having a baby present, what colours should I look for?"

"Colour has nothing to do with gender," Sarah smirked. "But Kelly and I wouldn't mind pink or green."

"Pink? A girl?"

"Pink and green, Betty," Ben said. "Those are their Ranger colours."

"Is that… No… that's not… are you…"

"After I tell my uncle and Aaron… and my friends," Sarah said as she grabbed Kathryn's things and walked away from the desk.

"You wouldn't paint a boy's room pink," Betty called out.

"You don't know what I'd do," Sarah shrugged. "Traditionally, pink was a masculine colour. Maybe I'm a traditional kind of girl."

Betty shook her head. Sarah wasn't traditional. Not as far as she knew anyway. Was she traditional enough to associate pink with girls and blue with boys? Was she forward thinking enough to surround her son with enough pink to teach him that colour and gender were independent?

"I need to know!" Betty called out, but Sarah was already gone.


End file.
